House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dismissed “absurd” assertions that he is helping former President Donald Trump in his presidential campaign by resisting a purportedly bipartisan border bill.
“Have you spoken to [Trump] about the Senate proposal and are you simply trying to kill this to help him out on the campaign?” CNN’s Manu Raju asked Johnson on Tuesday.
“No, Manu, that’s absurd! We have a responsibility here to do our duty,” the Republican leader responded.
“Our duty is to do right by the American people. To protect the people. The first and most important job of the federal government is to protect its citizens. We’re not doing that under President Biden…” he added before elaborating on the conversations he has had with the former president and current GOP 2024 frontrunner.
Reporter: Trump has said he doesn’t want you to move forward on this… Are you trying to help him campaign on this?
Johnson: That’s absurd… I have talked to Trump on this issue at length.. pic.twitter.com/SK7YxF3g4Z
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 30, 2024
“I have talked to former President Trump about this issue at length. And he understands that. He understands that we have a responsibility to do here,” he said.
“The president, of course, President Trump, wants to secure the country. President Trump is the one that talked about border security before anyone else did. He ran on, as you remember, building the wall. Why? Because he saw this catastrophe coming. He knew that if we did not get control of it we’d be in this situation,” Johnson said.
“And that’s why President Trump took his executive actions. He used his executive authority to get that system under control,” he added.
Trump has maintained his opposition to the compromise being hashed out in Congress and has urged GOP lawmakers to hold the line
“I do not think we should do a Border Deal, at all, unless we get EVERYTHING needed to shut down the INVASION of Millions & Millions of people, many from parts unknown, into our once great, but soon to be great again, Country!” the former president wrote on Truth Social earlier this month.
“Also, I have no doubt that our wonderful Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, will only make a deal that is PERFECT ON THE BORDER,” Trump wrote. “Remember, without Strong Borders and Honest Elections, we don’t have a Country!!!”
Over last weekend, the former president said lawmakers can blame him for resisting the “very bad bill.”
The so-called Border deal Biden is pushing out is not designed to stop illegal immigration…I’d rather have no bill than a bad bill. pic.twitter.com/sHSaOM0NCc
— TRUMP ARMY (@TRUMP_ARMY_) January 31, 2024
“As the leader of our party, there is zero chance I will support this horrible open borders betrayal of America. It’s not going to happen,” he said at a campaign rally in Nevada. “I notice a lot of the senators are trying to say — respectfully they are blaming it on me, I say that’s OK please blame it on me, please, because they were getting ready to pass a very bad bill.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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