House Speaker Mike Johnson was slammed after bragging to reporters about how Congress certified the 2024 election "without a hitch" in what he described as "record" time—and was quickly called out on social media.
During a press conference following Monday's certification, Johnson—without a hint of irony—said:
“We trudged through the snow yesterday to certify the election and that went off without a hitch. Thirty-eight minutes to certify the new president. That might be a record, I’m not sure, but it went off well.”
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Earlier, Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the certification of President-elect Donald Trump's election win, smiling widely when the vote total reached the threshold declaring Trump the next president and when she received a standing ovation from her party as her vote total was announced.
Unlike Trump in 2020—whose followers stormed the U.S. Capitol on the false premise the election had been stolen—Harris did not dispute her loss in November, and unlike the Republicans following the 2020 election, Democrats in Congress raised no objections during the counting of the Electoral College votes.
Johnson's remarks overlook the fact that despite losing, Democrats have affirmed their commitment to democratic principles, with Harris herself saying this week that her "duty" to certify the results of the 2024 election "is a sacred obligation, one I will uphold, guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and my unwavering faith in the American people."
That's more than can be said about Trump or his followers, who delayed the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory for hours; it can be said that at least one of the reasons why the electoral certification was handled so well is because the Capitol was heavily secured, surrounded by tall black metal fencing, and reinforced by federal, state, and local security forces.
Johnson was quickly called out.
If Johnson thinks it's all smooth sailing for the GOP from here, he might want to think again.
Johnson only narrowly won re-election as the House Speaker last week—218-215 against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries—a victory that came on the first and only ballot but was achieved only after last-minute vote shifts from two House Republicans, which delayed the process by about 45 minutes.
Johnson's hold over the majority is fragile; almost immediately after the vote, the House Freedom Caucus, composed of hard-line conservatives and libertarians, issued a list of demands for Johnson.
These included a call for lawmakers to stay in Washington five days a week instead of the current three to four, as well as allowing amendments to be introduced on the House floor. Additionally, they requested that Johnson cease relying on Democratic votes to pass spending legislation, following his concessions to Democrats in December's stopgap spending bill.
Moreover, there are signs that Trump may exert significant influence over House proceedings. His involvement in Johnson's victory was marked by a phone call he made to the two holdouts, signaling his continued sway over key decisions in the House.
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