Home Speaker Mike Johnson stated he’s “not involved in any respect” over President Donald Trump’s order to ship 2,000 Nationwide Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell immigration protests which have resulted in clashes between demonstrators and regulation enforcement.
“I feel the president did precisely what he wanted to do,” Johnson informed ABC Information’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl on Sunday. “These are federal legal guidelines and we have now to keep up the rule of regulation. And that isn’t what is occurring. (California Gov.) Gavin Newsom has proven an lack of ability or unwillingness to do what is critical there.”
“That’s actual management, and he has the authority and the accountability to do it,” the speaker stated, defending Trump’s resolution.
California officers have stated deploying the Nationwide Guard is pointless. Newsom stated the transfer was “purposefully inflammatory and can solely escalate tensions.”
Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson speaks with ABC Information whereas showing on This Week, June 8, 2025.
ABC Information
“The federal authorities is sowing chaos to allow them to have an excuse to escalate. That isn’t the way in which any civilized nation behaves,” the governor posted on X.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth stated Saturday that lively obligation Marines at Camp Pendleton shall be mobilized “if violence continues.”
Requested about Hegseth’s feedback, Johnson stated, “Certainly one of our core ideas is sustaining peace by means of energy. We do this on international affairs and home affairs as properly. I do not suppose that is heavy-handed.”
“You do not suppose sending Marines into the streets of an American metropolis is heavy-handed?” Karl pressed.
“We have now to be ready to do what is critical, and I feel the discover that which may occur may need the deterring impact,” the speaker stated.
The president’s resolution to deploy the Nationwide Guard comes after his dramatic, public falling out with Elon Musk, whose function inside the authorities ended simply over every week in the past.
Johnson stated he nonetheless has not spoken with Musk since he took to his social media platform to blast Trump’s legislative precedence that Republicans try to cross by means of Congress, however they’ve exchanged textual content messages.
“The president used the phrase ‘disappointing.’ I feel that is proper. We had been disillusioned, stunned,” he stated.
“Look, Elon’s primary accountability is to save lots of his firm. The president and I’ve the accountability to save lots of this nation, and that is what this invoice does. And we’re actually excited and pleased with this product,” he added.
Requested what his textual content messages with Musk stated, Johnson stated Musk expressed considerations about spending.
“And I stated, ‘Elon, the spending classes on this invoice are in two restricted areas — the border, which we promised the American individuals we might do, and its protection,” he stated. “Every thing else within the invoice is about historic financial savings and tax cuts.”
In response to Musk’s suggestion for individuals to name their members of Congress to “kill within the invoice,” Johnson stated, “We have got nearly no calls to the places of work.”
“Look, I did not exit to craft a chunk of laws to please the richest man on this planet. What we’re attempting to do is assist hard-working People who’re attempting to supply for his or her households to make ends meet.”
Johnson sidestepped a query on whether or not Trump ought to transfer ahead with slicing Musk’s authorities contracts.
“I’m not going to get into the technique of what occurs with all of that,” he stated.
The speaker stated he hopes the feud will “resolve” and stated, “I will proceed to attempt to be a peacemaker in all of this.”
Johnson added that he thinks it “could be an enormous mistake” for Musk to go after Republicans who help the One Large Lovely Invoice Act.
“I feel Elon is aware of, on the finish of the day, the explanation he acquired concerned to assist President Trump win and to assist Republicans win the bulk within the Home and the Senate is as a result of he understands that our insurance policies are higher for human flourishing, they’re higher for the U.S. financial system, they’re higher for all the pieces that he is concerned in,” Johnson stated. “I feel when the emotion settles down, I feel he’ll acknowledge we have now no alternative. We have now to carry the Home majority within the 2026 mid-term election, and we are going to as a result of we have to permit President Trump 4 full years, not simply two.”
