House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) rebuked the White House’s dismissal of Democrats referring to former President Donald Trump as a “threat” to the country, calling it “absurd” for the Biden administration to sidestep responsibility.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back against claims that President Joe Biden and other Democrats have been stoking political violence with repeated claims that Trump is a danger to democracy. The response was made two days after the former president survived a second assassination attempt in roughly two months.
“It’s absurd, KJP is absurd, and, as usual, Mr. Doocy asked the right question,” Johnson said on Fox News’s Fox and Friends. “Peter’s exactly on point. The Democrats’ rhetoric has been so over the top. They have, for years now, tried to convince people that Donald Trump is equivalent to Hitler, that he is some great threat to our democracy. You hear them say it over and over. That triggers people like the two shooters that have already tried to make an attempt on his life.”
Johnson added that “everybody” has a responsibility to “turn the heat down” regarding the political climate and encouraged candidates to debate each other on policy rather than labeling political opponents as threats to democracy. He also said it is “quite dangerous” for Democrats to continue their “charade” against Trump being a danger to the nation.
The House speaker also underscored the need to attach the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act to a continuing resolution because it is necessary that the government is funded for another six months while preventing illegal immigrants from voting in the November elections. He said he had been traveling across the country to campaign for the Republican Party and that one of the first questions he was asked about related to election integrity.
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Earlier this week, Johnson said Trump needs additional security to protect him ahead of the election. Since then, he has contacted the White House to request extra security, which told him there is a “manpower issue.”
As such, Johnson indicated the Trump campaign may need to rely on local and state law enforcement to ensure the former president’s safety.