Tuesday, February 25

Mike Johnson defends Trump’s aggressive start, declaring ‘everything is on the table’

DORAL, Fla. — House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended President Donald Trump’s string of controversial executive orders and actions Monday, saying that “everything is on the table” and that it’s a new time to reassess everything the federal government does.

Johnson responded, “Sometimes you need a fresh look,” in response to Trump’s decision over the weekend to fire 18 inspectors general at various federal agencies. When asked about Trump’s forceful deportations of migrants by NBC News, Johnson responded that voters gave Trump a mandate to address the issue and that everyone should take a deep breath.

Johnson, whose home state of Louisiana has a long history of hurricane damage, expressed frustration with FEMA leadership in response to Trump’s recent remarks that the agency needs to be restructured or possibly abolished. He also stated that the president is correct to make that assessment.

Johnson said that he agreed with Trump’s previous assertion that California should not receive disaster assistance for wildfires until voter ID requirements are implemented in the state. According to Johnson, it’s a commonsense idea.

Shortly before Trump spoke to House Republicans here at their annual issues conference at Trump Doral National, the president’s golf club and resort in Miami, Johnson told reporters, “Something has changed because there is a new sheriff in town.”

I believe that a new era of governance is upon us. With his GOP leadership team at his side, Johnson added, “And when the president says he wants to make the government more efficient and effective and we say we want to limit the size and scope of government, it means that everything is on the table for reevaluation.”

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We have a fresh opportunity to reconsider all that the federal government undertakes. FEMA is also under attack.

On Capitol Hill, Johnson has been a leading Trump ally, so the speaker frequently stands up for the president. However, with Trump only a few hundred yards away on the Doral grounds and the speaker scheduled to introduce him a few hours later, Johnson seemed particularly cautious Monday to avoid showing any daylight with the president.

Over the next three days, House Republicans will debate and discuss their legislative agenda for 2025 at Doral. How to proceed with the GOP’s so-called reconciliation package, which aims to implement strict immigration laws, reduce energy costs, and renew Trump’s tax cuts, will be at the heart of that discussion.

According to Johnson, the first step in unlocking and opening the reconciliation process is for the House Budget Committee to mark up a new budget.

The speaker added that MPs would be working hard at the retreat, negotiating and reaching an agreement with one another, and that’s where the majority of these campaign promises that we made will be realized.

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