House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated on Sunday that the “rhetoric” from Democrats has incited dangerous individuals to take extreme actions. In an interview on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos, Johnson criticized leading Democrats and the current presidential nominee for labeling former President Donald Trump as a threat to democracy.
“For years now, the highest elected officials have claimed that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy,” Johnson said. “They’ve suggested that our republic will end if he is reelected. It’s absolute nonsense. Their rhetoric has incited dangerous people to do dangerous things.”
The remarks come in the wake of a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump faced an assassination attempt earlier this year. Following the shooting, President Biden called for a reduction in political tensions, stating that “political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated,” urging that “it’s time to cool it down.”
Stephanopoulos referenced comments made by Eric Trump at the rally, where he suggested that the Democratic Party was responsible for attempts on his father’s life, asking Johnson if he supported those statements.
“I— I don’t know what Eric was saying because I only heard just a snippet there,” Johnson replied, emphasizing the importance of context. “What they’re referring to is the absolute open attacks that have been engaged by Democrats against President Trump since the day he came down that golden escalator in 2016.”