A trio of House Democrats kicked off committees by Republicans took to CNN on Sunday to air grievances against Speaker Kevin McCarthy, accusing him of playing politics.

The three Democrats — Reps. Eric Swalwell of California, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Adam Schiff of California — cited Mr. McCarthy’s slim majority, saying he promised ultra-conservatives he would target them in exchange for the speaker’s gavel.

“The only real explanation is he needs Marjorie Taylor Greene’s vote, he needs Paul Gosar’s vote, he wants to retaliate for their removal from their committee, and apparently he believes I was very effective in exposing his misconduct, Donald Trump’s misconduct,” Mr. Schiff, who headed the House Intelligence Committee and led the second Trump impeachment trial, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “That’s what he’s trying to stop.”

Mr. Swalwell also was removed from the Intelligence Committee for unknowingly staffing a Chinese spy.

“Don’t take my word for it,” he said. “Take the FBI’s word for it. They never talk about ongoing investigations … Three different times they came out and said all I did was help [the FBI], and I was never under any suspicious of any wrongdoing.”

Ms. Omar has not yet been formally removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for antisemitic remarks as some Republicans have raised objections against it, raising questions over whether Mr. McCarthy will have the votes.

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“I might’ve used words at the time that I didn’t understand were trafficking in anti-Semitic,” she said. “These people are okay with Islamophobia, they’re okay with trafficking in their own ways in anti-Semitism, they are not okay with a Muslim having a voice on that committee.”

• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.