ABC’s Jonathan Karl on what Republicans have told him about Paul Gosar: ‘He’s lost it’

On Anderson Cooper 360 Wednesday, ABC News’ chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl stopped by and broke down some of the things he learned while writing his new book, “Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show,” about Trump’s final days in the White House.

Among the topics was what he has heard about Arizona Republican congressman Paul Gosar, who was censured and stripped of his committee assignments by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, after he posted a video depicting an animated version of himself attacking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden. A censure is the most severe form of punishment in the House, short of expulsion.

When Cooper asked Karl if Republicans have privately expressed embarrassment, shame and concern to him about the future of the party, Karl said “oh, yes.”

And he expanded on that in reference to Gosar, after multiple Republicans stood up for him on Wednesday. But Karl said it’s a different story behind closed doors.

“The way Republicans would talk about Gosar privately, is entirely different than the spectacle today of effectively defending him,” Gosar said. “I mean, they say he's lost it. I've had top Republicans tell me about Gosar specifically, before this episode. ‘He's not all there.’”

Video transcript

ANDERSON COOPER: Privately, do Republicans in the Hill-- I mean, do any of them express embarrassment, shame, concern about the future of the party?

JONATHAN KARL: Oh, Yes. Oh, Yes.

KYLIE MAR: Jonathan Karl stopped by Anderson Cooper 360 Wednesday, where the chief Washington correspondent for ABC News broke down some of the things he learned while writing his new book about Trump's final days in the White House and beyond. That includes what he's heard about Arizona Republican Congressman Paul Gosar, who was censured and stripped of his committee assignments by the House of Representatives on Wednesday after he posted a video depicting an animated version of himself attacking Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden. And while multiple Republicans stood up for Gosar on Wednesday, Karl said it's a different story behind closed doors.

JONATHAN KARL: Gosar. I mean, the way Republicans would talk about Gosar privately is entirely different from what you saw at the spectacle today of coming in and effectively defending him.

ANDERSON COOPER: It's more along the lines of the way his family talks about him.

JONATHAN KARL: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Basically along the lines of how his family talks about him.

KYLIE MAR: Gosar, whose own siblings have spoken out against him on multiple occasions, responded to the censure by retweeting the same video that got him in trouble and Karl was not surprised.

JONATHAN KARL: I mean, they say he's lost it. I mean, they say that he's I mean I mean, I've had top Republicans tell me about Gosar specifically before this episode, you know, he's he's not all there.

ANDERSON COOPER: But I mean he--