During a recent appearance on CNN, House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke very highly of liberal CNN host Jake Tapper after the cameras appeared to go dark. Speaking with Tapper on a segment of “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” the speaker could be heard telling the host, “You’re always fair.”
However, many conservatives have disputed Speaker Johnson’s claim of Tapper being “fair,” where his reporting on CNN in recent years has drawn scrutiny. As Breitbart’s John Nolte suggested, Tapper is responsible for peddling dozens of alleged hoaxes, including the “Russian Collusion Hoax,” the “Jussie Smollet Hoax,” the “Rittenhouse Hoax,” and many more.
Johnson also explained to Tapper his stance on America’s purported responsibility to protect freedom worldwide. The speaker claimed that the U.S. should continue funding foreign interests such as Ukraine and Israel to send a message to America’s political adversaries that we will “defend freedom.”
He said, “We know what the timetable is. We know the urgency in Ukraine and in Israel, and we’re going to stand by Israel, our close ally and dear friend, and we’re going to stand for freedom and make sure that Vladimir Putin doesn’t march through Europe. These are important responsibilities. A strong America is good for the entire world since World War Two. Really, really the responsibility for the free world has been shifted onto our shoulders and we accept that role. We’re an exceptional nation. We’re the greatest nation on the planet we have to act like and we have to project to Putin and and Xi and Iran and North Korea and anybody else that that we will defend freedom. It doesn’t mean boots on the ground. We’re not the world’s policemen. But we’re going to do the right thing and I think the Congress is going to take an important stand here.”
However, the Republican speaker has recently faced significant criticism from within his own party, with several prominent congressional GOP members supporting a motion to vacate Johnson. Many claim Johnson has abandoned conservative interests by pushing legislation supporting foreign aid while domestic issues, such as the border crisis, remain unaddressed.
The American Tribune recently reported on Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) announcing his cosponsorship of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) motion to vacate Johnson from his speakership. Both Massie and Greene have asserted the party’s desperate need for a new speaker.
“I just told Mike Johnson in conference that I’m cosponsoring the Motion to Vacate that was introduced by @RepMTG,” Massie posted on X. “He should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker.”
Reports indicate that Johnson has plans to pass four different foreign aid supplemental spending bills under a single rule, known as a MIRV (multiple impact reentry vehicles). This maneuver would bundle the four different packages together in a single bill, which would be presented to the Senate. Conservatives have criticized this measure, suggesting it is caving to the interests of Democrats and moderate Republicans.
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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