For more than a month, House Speaker Mike Johnson has been trying to present an alternative reality of the government shutdown.
On Sunday morning, Johnson repeatedly falsely claimed that Democrats wanted to provide health care to people who are in the country illegally. President Johnson knows that it is illegal for non-citizens to receive health benefits.
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President Johnson has long run out of excuses, but the new problem in the government shutdown dynamic is that he is now covering for President Donald Trump.
This development is significant because it reveals that the damage caused by the shutdown, largely ignored by Johnson for more than a month, is beginning to impact the leadership of the Republican Party.
The Republican brand is Donald Trump. There are still a few Republicans in office who are running independently of Trump. They’re all tied to Trump, and their fate and job security depend on Trump remaining strong with Republican and Republican-leaning voters, which is why Johnson’s response to a question was so telling.
Johnson was asked on Fox News on Sunday: “Some Republican senators are indicating at least the smallest door open to possible changes. What advice would you give to the other side of the Hill?”
Read Johnson’s response and watch the video below.