House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Thursday that he wants people to give two Republican incoming members of Congress a chance, even though they have expressed support for the dangerous and thoroughly debunked QAnon conspiracy theory.

The theory claims, among other things, that Donald Trump is ridding the government of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. The FBI has deemed a domestic terror threat.

McCarthy made the comment after being asked by a reporter whether he's "concerned" about Reps.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO).

Aside from their QAnon support, Greene has also said a number of racist, antisemitic, and Islamophobic comments. She said, for example, that the 2018 midterms amounted to an "Islamic invasion of our government" because Democrats elected Muslim members of Congress.

In 2019, Greene traveled to the U.S. Capitol to demand two Muslim members of Congress — Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib — take the oath of office on a Bible, as well as tell them they should "really should go back to the Middle East if they support Sharia" law.

Neither Omar nor Tlaib are from the Middle East. Omar is a Somali refugee, while Tlaib is an American who was born in Michigan.

Boebert has also expressed support for QAnon.

Here is the exchange McCarthy had with a reporter on Nov. 12:

REPORTER: How concerned are you about the Marjorie Taylor Greene's, the Lauren Boeberts, who have talked about and supported QAnon in the past, creating controversy for your conference? I mean Marjorie Taylor walked around...
MCCARTHY: Did [Politico editor John] Bresnahan give you this question?
REPORTER: No, look Marjorie Taylor walked around with a Bible looking for Reps. Tlaib and Omar saying that they needed to swear in on a Bible and not the Quran. How are you going to deal?
MCCARTHY: Look, our party is very diverse. You mentioned two people who are going to join our party and both of 'em have denounced Qanon. The only thing I would ask of you in a press, these are new members, give them an opportunity before you claim what you believe they have done and what they will do.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.