MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN — Speaker of the House Mike Johnson shared his concerns on moving forward with an impeachment of Attorney General Merrick Garland and outlined what a second term under Trump would look like for Congress in an exclusive interview with the Daily Caller.
Johnson said he’s “not sure” if Garland’s conduct rises to the level of impeachment in his interview with the Caller at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee. He also said that, if Republicans win a sizeable Congressional majority and the White House, their top priorities will be hemming up the border, restoring American leadership abroad and unleashing the American economy.
“Merrick Garland has been held in contempt, we filed a lawsuit against him in federal court to enforce the subpoena. He’s made a mess of the Department of Justice, they’ve weaponized the whole legal system in the minds of many American people and this is a very dangerous thing. So is he guilty of treason, high crimes and misdemeanors? I’m not sure, that’s a high burden,” Johnson told the Caller.
“I don’t know, legally, politically, right now if impeachment is the right step,” he added. (RELATED: Speaker Mike Johnson Promises ‘Full Investigation’ Into Trump Assassination Attempt)
Former US President Donald Trump, from left, Senator JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio and Republican vice-presidential nominee, and US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Conservatives have increasingly called for the impeachment of Garland due to his alleged weaponization of the DOJ. Monday, Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that Garland’s appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith in the Trump classified documents case was unconstitutional, prompting a new round of criticism.
Johnson, who became Speaker under unlikely circumstances after the ouster of Kevin McCarthy, said he intends to stay in the job next Congress despite its difficulties.
“People ask me all the time are you having fun as speaker — I mean, I’m a wartime speaker, in a real sense,” he said, also referencing an op-ed by former Speaker Newt Gingrich who said Johnson has the “most challenging speakership since the Civil War.”
“With a larger majority and with unified government, I also believe it could be a time of unifying the country and it’s an exciting prospect to be a part of that movement, so that’s the motivation to keep going on this. It’s not an easy job.” (RELATED: Trump Picks J.D. Vance To Be 2024 Running Mate)
Johnson said Americans are focused on the same issues wherever he goes: a secure border, the economy, and restoring America’s role on the world stage.
“On the economic front, it’s about tax policy, it’s about dramatically reducing regulations on all of our industries, it’s about energy policy.”
Johnson said the big selling point for this election is simple: Americans were better off under Donald Trump, and if Republicans did it once, they can do it again.