House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper Sunday as the pair discussed the border crisis, former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL) nomination as Attorney General, President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to end taxation tips, and more.
Naturally, because it’s Jake Tapper, things got testy at times.
The backstory: Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives Wednesday after his nomination was announced. The House had been doing an ethics investigation into him, and now many including Johnson consider that moot because he’s no longer a member.
Tapper of course was miffed:
TAPPER: Gaetz, as you know, had been facing a House Ethics Committee investigation over numerous allegations, including one that he had sex with a 17-year-old. We should note that Gaetz denies that allegation…
But, on Friday, you did want something to do with it. You said the House Ethics Committee report should not be released.
In between those two comments, you did speak with president-elect Trump. Did he encourage you to change your position and to squash the House Ethics Committee report from being released?
JOHNSON: No, he did not.
The president and I have literally not discussed one word about the Ethics report, not once. And I have been with him quite a bit this week between Washington and Mar-a-Lago and last night in Madison Square Garden.
Johnson explained that it would be unfair to target a person who is no longer a member of the legislative body:
I didn’t even know about it, Jake, until the middle of this week, when it was announced in the press. What I have said with regard to the report is that it should not come out. And why? Because Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress. He is no longer a member.
There’s a very important protocol and tradition and rule that we maintain that the House Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction does not extend to non-members of Congress. I think that would be a Pandora’s box. I don’t think we want the House Ethics Committee using all of its vast resources and powers to go after private citizens.
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The two also talked about the border, and Johnson vowed to make securing it a priority:
TAPPER: Let’s start with immigration. The Trump administration is getting ready to enact sweeping changes to immigration policy, mass deportations, mandatory detention of undocumented migrants. It could require new temporary detention centers near the border near major cities.
What’s the legislative plan here? Does it include the deportation of every documented immigrant? How might — how much might that cost?
JOHNSON: Well, here’s what the plan entails. It’s securing the border right out of the gates.
This is what the American people have demanded and what they deserve. They want a secure country. They want a secure border, and we will deliver upon that. That’s what the mandate of the election was all about. So we know how to do that. We have legislation that we passed in the previous Congress, in this Congress, H.R.2, that would be the most secure border legislation ever passed.
But President Trump, I suspect, will use his executive authorities beginning on day one. We will come behind with legislation and we will make sure that we have a sovereign, safe and secure nation again. That’s what we have to deliver upon.
Johnson also said he will prioritize Trump’s promise to end taxes on tips: “We’re going to try to make that happen,” he said.
Watch the whole episode here.
