Speaker Mike Johnson Defends Trump’s Call for Shutdown Over Election Security
REUTERS/Nathan Howard
House Speaker Mike Johnson found himself struggling Tuesday to reconcile his stance on avoiding a government shutdown with former President Donald Trump’s demand to halt federal operations if controversial election security legislation fails to pass.
Hours after telling Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman that he didn’t want to shut down the government, Johnson claimed that he and Trump were aligned in their commitment to passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act. “He and I are saying exactly the same thing,” Johnson told Punchbowl News’ Melanie Zanona.
However, Trump’s post on Truth Social earlier that day had suggested otherwise. The former president urged Republicans to take a hard line on election security, throwing his full support behind a government shutdown. “If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don’t get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET,” Trump wrote. “THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO ‘STUFF’ VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN – CLOSE IT DOWN!!!”
When pressed about Trump’s post, Johnson responded, “He’s trying to make the point, as I am, that this is critically important.” Despite this insistence, the SAVE Act appears to be facing significant obstacles, with growing doubts among Republicans about its chances of passing and concerns about the potential fallout for Trump’s campaign if it fails, according to Politico.
The SAVE Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, has been criticized by opponents who argue it addresses an unproven issue. Federal law already prohibits non-citizens from registering to vote, and Democrats have called the proposed legislation unnecessary and reckless. Appropriations Committee Democrat Rep. Rosa DeLauro criticized it as “reckless,” while Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declared it “dead on arrival.”
Adding to the pressure is the looming deadline to keep the government funded. Congress has only funded federal operations through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. If a stopgap measure or continuing resolution isn’t passed by then, the government will face a shutdown, putting even more strain on Speaker Johnson as he navigates this contentious debate.
