Chaos on Capitol Hill: Congressman Tim Burchett Accuses Kevin McCarthy of Bending Him; Bernie Sanders erupts during a fight between the Republican senator and the Teamsters leader

Members of Congress are trying to avert a government shutdown until the end of the week, and thousands of protesters have gathered on the Capitol lawn in support of Israel, but the real scene is the malice that has led to physical or actual beatings.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) accused former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of elbowing him in the kidney during Burchett’s interview with NPR today. Burchett was one of eight Republicans who voted last month to remove McCarthy as chairman.

NPR conference correspondent Claudia Grisales posted an excerpt of what she saw. She wrote that while McCarthy was interviewing Burchett, he walked by with his security detail and “McCarthy pushed Burchett.”

Burchett took her out, she wrote, but she thought it was “a joke.”

She wrote: “Burchett jokingly responded as McCarthy continued, ‘Sorry, Kevin wouldn’t elbow me -‘ and then seriously yelled, ‘Why did you elbow me in the back, Kevin?!’ Hey Kevin, do you have courage!?’”

She wrote that Burchett later resembled McCarthy. “I followed him with my microphone,” she wrote.

Burchett then yelled at McCarthy after she caught up with him, she wrote. “Hey Kevin, why did you go behind me and elbow me in the back?”

However, McCarthy denied this.

Burchett yelled at him. “You don’t have the courage, you did it, … the reporter said it there, what kind of chicken move is that?” “You’re a pathetic man, you’re so pathetic,” he told McCarthy, according to Grisales.

In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, Burchett confirmed Grisales’ story. “He’s a bully with $17 million and a security guard,” he said. CNN reported McCarthy denied pushing Burchett and said he tried to pass him through a narrow hallway.

After Burchett spoke to CNN, anchors Kate Bolduan and John Berman dramatically read Grisales’ report.

The incident was not the only one on the hill today.

During a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) challenged one of the witnesses who testified about a physical altercation. The witness, Teamsters CEO Sean O’Brien, tweeted about Mullin five times, the senator noted. He read a message: “Greedy CEO pretending to be self-made.” What a cloud. Fraud. Always been like this, always will be like this. Pretty tough man in these Senate hearings. You know where to find me. Always, everywhere cowboy.”

Mullin then told O’Brien, “If you want to talk, we can be two consenting adults. We can end it here.”

“Okay, that’s good. Perfect,” O’Brien replied.

Then Mullin said, “Do you want to do it now?”

“I’d like to do it now,” O’Brien said.

“Now, stand up straight,” Mullin said.

“Get up, big guy,” O’Brien said.

Mullin then stood up before the committee chairman, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), said: “Stop it. You are a US senator.”

“This is a trial. “God knows the American people despise Congress enough,” Sanders said.

Mullin and O’Brien continued to argue as Sanders hit the gavel.