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Jimmy Williams
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to directly answer questions regarding former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about the 2020 election results and recent claims linking Democrats to assassination attempts on Trump.
The comments came during a wide-ranging interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” as Election Day nears and political tensions escalate.
Trump, along with his family, has repeatedly amplified baseless claims linking Democrats to two assassination attempts against him, the first of which took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was grazed by a bullet. At a rally in Butler, Trump’s son, Eric Trump, fueled these claims, stating: “They [Democrats] tried to kill him…because the Democratic Party…can’t do anything right.”
When asked whether he supported Eric Trump’s comments, Johnson responded vaguely, refusing to specifically denounce the rhetoric. “I think what they’re alluding to is what we’ve all been saying. They have got to turn the rhetoric down,” Johnson said, adding that he had not heard the full comments. He further deflected by criticizing Democrats for labeling Trump a “threat to democracy” and accusing them of inciting dangerous behavior against the former president.
Stephanopoulos pressed Johnson further, asking for clarification on his stance regarding the assassination claims. However, Johnson avoided a direct answer, stating, “We need to all look at these things in full context,” and instead shifted the conversation to the challenges facing the country, calling the attacks on Trump “open” and ongoing since his 2016 campaign.
The discussion also touched on Trump’s repeated false claims of election fraud following his 2020 loss. Stephanopoulos asked Johnson whether he could unequivocally state that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, a question that Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, have consistently dodged. Johnson refused to directly answer, calling the inquiry a “gotcha game” and dismissing any need to re-litigate the past. “Joe Biden has been the president for four years,” Johnson said. “There’s not a question about this.”
However, Johnson’s refusal to clearly acknowledge Trump’s 2020 loss echoes a broader hesitation among many Republicans to fully distance themselves from Trump’s claims of a “stolen election.” Throughout the interview, Johnson repeatedly emphasized a focus on the future rather than revisiting the results of 2020.
As the conversation shifted to the upcoming 2024 election, Johnson pledged to follow the Constitution regarding the certification of Electoral College results in January 2025. “Article II of the Constitution is very clear. Congress has a very specific role, and we must fulfill it,” he said, assuring that he would adhere to constitutional guidelines.
The interview highlighted the ongoing struggle within the Republican Party to balance support for Trump with adherence to democratic principles and factual electoral outcomes. As Trump intensifies his attacks on Democrats and continues to sow doubt about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, Speaker Johnson’s unwillingness to outright condemn the former president’s rhetoric or affirm Biden’s victory underscores the deep divisions within the GOP.
With the 2024 election just weeks away, the political landscape remains fraught, with election integrity and political violence becoming central issues. Johnson’s interview reflected the tension between addressing these critical concerns and maintaining party loyalty to Trump, whose influence still dominates Republican politics.
