House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that recent anti-GOP protests at various town halls were “paid” for by Democrats.
Johnson made his claim during an interview with Kaitlan Collins on CNN.
“The videos you saw of the town halls were for paid protesters in many of those places,” Johnson said. “These are Democrats who went to the events early and filled up the seats.”
Collins said that Johnson could not “argue they were all paid protesters,” adding that a “Republican acknowledged they were his constituents.”
“One Republican acknowledged they were … constituents. That’s fantastic, OK, but they had Democrats come and fill the seats early, all right?” Johnson shot back. “This is an old playbook that they pulled out and ran, and it made it look like that what is happening in Washington is unpopular.”
Johnson further said that the American people are behind President Trump’s legislative agenda.
As noted by The Hill, Johnson issued his comment “after the House GOP narrowly passed its budget blueprint, which would stave off a government shutdown next month and advance Trump’s priorities forward.”
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) was specifically challenged at an event last week about topics such as Medicaid and Social Security cuts, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
Tough questions about government layoffs were also lobbed at Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) from his constituents at a town hall meeting last week, with the Peach State Republican’s district being in close proximity to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
WATCH:
Johnson: The videos you saw of the town halls were for paid protesters
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 27, 2025
Collins: A Republican acknowledged they were his constituents.
Johnson: They had Democrats come and fill the seats pic.twitter.com/EnPfxMaled
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