House Speaker Mike Johnson clashed with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday over comments made by Eric Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, where the former president’s son suggested that the Democratic Party was behind an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
Stephanopoulos asked Johnson if it was acceptable for Trump and his family to imply that Democrats were responsible for the attempt on Trump’s life, given the recent calls for both sides to tone down their rhetoric. Johnson responded by arguing that the Trumps were not directly accusing the Democratic Party of attempting to assassinate Trump, but rather highlighting the need for Democrats to dial back their own rhetoric.
Johnson claimed that top Democratic officials, including the current presidential nominee, have repeatedly labeled Trump a threat to democracy, which he believes has incited violence against the former president. Stephanopoulos pushed back, pointing out that Eric Trump had specifically mentioned Democrats as being responsible for the violence against his father.
The exchange between Johnson and Stephanopoulos became heated, with the House speaker insisting that he didn’t know the context of Eric Trump’s comments, despite having just seen the clip. Stephanopoulos countered that the context was clear and asked Johnson if he supported Eric Trump’s statement.
Johnson argued that he wouldn’t “parse the language” used by individuals at rallies. He claimed that he could provide numerous examples of inflammatory comments made by top Democrats, but emphasized that the focus should be on policy rather than personalities.
Johnson also appeared on Fox News on Sunday, where he discussed the public’s frustration with FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene. He criticized the agency’s allocation of funds to its Shelter and Services Program to address the migrant crisis, rather than prioritizing disaster relief efforts.
