For more than a month, House Speaker Mike Johnson has been trying to portray an alternate reality of the government shutdown.
On Sunday morning, Johnson repeatedly falsely claimed that Democrats want to give health care to people who are in the country illegally. Speaker Johnson knows it is illegal for non-citizens to receive health care benefits.
Speaker Johnson is long out of excuses, but the new wrinkle in the dynamics of the government shutdown is that he is now providing cover for President Donald Trump.
This development is important because it shows that the damage caused by the shutdown, which Johnson has largely ignored for more than a month, is beginning to blow back on the leadership of the Republican Party.
The Republican brand is Donald Trump. There are still a few Republicans in office who govern independently of Trump. They are all tied to Trump, and their fate and job security depend on Trump remaining strong with Republican and Republican voters. That’s why Johnson’s answer to one question was so revealing.
Johnson was asked on Fox News Sunday: “There are some Republican senators who are at least indicating the slightest open door to potentially making changes. What is your advice from the other side of the hill?”
Read Johnson’s response and watch the video below.
