- President Joe Biden downplayed new House Speaker Mike Johnson’s actions to overturn the 2020 election
- At a news conference Wednesday with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Biden said he was not concerned Johnson would refute the 2024 results
- However, the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign came out swinging, saying Johnson was an ‘extreme MAGA’ figure
President Joe Biden said Wednesday he is not concerned about new House Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempt to overturn the 2024 election, saying he was confident former President Donald Trump would not do so in 2020 doing.
Biden was holding a Rose Garden press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ahead of the state dinner as news broke that the standoff in the House of Representatives had ended after 22 days, with Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson being elected speaker.
Johnson was among Trump’s allies who pushed conspiracy theories about voting machines in the aftermath of the 2020 election and encouraged colleagues to file a lawsuit challenging Biden’s victory in four swing states.
But when the president was asked if he was afraid Johnson would again refute the election results, Biden gave a resounding “no.”
“Look, just like I wasn’t afraid that the last man standing could overturn the election,” Biden said. “They had about 60 lawsuits and they went all the way to the Supreme Court and they lost every time. I understand the Constitution.”
President Joe Biden said Wednesday he is not concerned about new House Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempt to overturn the 2024 election, saying he was confident former President Donald Trump would not do so in 2020 would do.
It was the first time Biden raised questions about the new speaker, who was the fourth Republican nominated by his party following the Oct. 3 impeachment of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
In his hands near the presser, Biden held a notecard with the names, news media and photos of the two American and two Australian reporters who asked the two leaders questions.
While Biden downplayed any danger Johnson might pose, his 2024 presidential campaign immediately condemned the Republican Party for unanimously electing an “extreme MAGA” figure.
“MAGA Mike Johnson’s rise to speakership reinforces the extreme MAGA takeover of the Republican Conference of the House of Representatives,” Biden-Harris spokesman Ammar Moussa said in a statement. “Now Donald Trump has his loyal foot soldier to ban abortion nationwide, lead efforts to deny free and fair election results, undermine Social Security and Medicare, and advance the extreme MAGA agenda at the expense of families from the middle class.’
’22 days before Congress must act to prevent a government shutdown and while our allies abroad at war depend on our help, extreme MAGA House Republicans have elevated a man to second in line to the presidency who still does not want to admit that President Biden won the election. 2020 elections,” Moussa continued. “The American people rejected extreme MAGA ideology at the ballot box because they understand what is at stake. And that includes every MAGA Republican who supported this choice.”
“We’ll see you in November,” he added.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (left) hands the gavel to Speaker-elect Mike Johnson (right) on Wednesday. Johnson was among those who joined former President Donald Trump in refuting the results of the 2020 presidential election
Trump put his finger on the scales and endorsed Johnson after saying in New Hampshire on Monday that he planned to stay out of the speakership race for a while.
During an appearance at the New Hampshire statehouse to get his name on that state’s Republican Party primaries, Trump said only “Jesus Christ” could easily win the presidential race.
But after Rep.’s bid While Tom Emmer failed – a bid that Trump was skeptical of and later rejected – Johnson was able to muster all 220 Republican votes.
“Congratulations to Representative Mike Johnson. He will be a GREAT ‘SPEAKER’. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’ Trump wrote this on Truth Social Wednesday.
Trump had initially endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan, another candidate whose bid failed.