Home Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned he’s “not involved in any respect” over President Donald Trump’s order to ship 2,000 Nationwide Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell immigration protests which have resulted in clashes between demonstrators and regulation enforcement.
“I believe the president did precisely what he wanted to do,” Johnson informed ABC Information’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl on Sunday. “These are federal legal guidelines and now we have to keep up the rule of regulation. And that’s not what is going on. [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom has proven an incapability or unwillingness to do what is important there.”
“That’s actual management, and he has the authority and the duty to do it,” the speaker mentioned, defending Trump’s choice.
California officers have mentioned deploying the Nationwide Guard is pointless. Newsom mentioned the transfer was “purposefully inflammatory and can solely escalate tensions.”
Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson speaks with ABC Information whereas showing on This Week, June 8, 2025.
ABC Information
“The federal authorities is sowing chaos to allow them to have an excuse to escalate. That’s not the way in which any civilized nation behaves,” the governor posted on X.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned Saturday that lively obligation Marines at Camp Pendleton shall be mobilized “if violence continues.”
Requested about Hegseth’s feedback, Johnson mentioned, “One among our core ideas is sustaining peace via power. We try this on international affairs and home affairs as nicely. I do not suppose that is heavy-handed.”
“You do not suppose sending Marines into the streets of an American metropolis is heavy-handed?” Karl pressed.
“We have now to be ready to do what is important, and I believe the discover that that may occur might need the deterring impact,” the speaker mentioned.
The president’s choice to deploy the Nationwide Guard comes after his dramatic, public falling out with Elon Musk, whose function inside the authorities ended simply over per week in the past.
Johnson mentioned he nonetheless has not spoken with Musk since he took to his social media platform to blast Trump’s legislative precedence that Republicans are attempting to move via Congress, however they’ve exchanged textual content messages.
“The president used the phrase ‘disappointing.’ I believe that is proper. We had been upset, stunned,” he mentioned.
“Look, Elon’s primary duty is to avoid wasting his firm. The president and I’ve the duty to avoid wasting this nation, and that is what this invoice does. And we’re actually excited and pleased with this product,” he added.
Requested what his textual content messages with Musk mentioned, Johnson mentioned Musk expressed considerations about spending.
“And I mentioned, ‘Elon, the spending classes on this invoice are in two restricted areas — the border, which we promised the American individuals we might do, and its protection,” he mentioned. “Every thing else within the invoice is about historic financial savings and tax cuts.”
In response to Musk’s suggestion for individuals to name their members of Congress to “kill within the invoice,” Johnson mentioned, “We have got virtually no calls to the places of work.”
“Look, I did not exit to craft a chunk of laws to please the richest man on this planet. What we’re making an attempt to do is assist hard-working Individuals who’re making an attempt to supply for his or her households to make ends meet.”
Johnson sidestepped a query on whether or not Trump ought to transfer ahead with slicing Musk’s authorities contracts.
“I’m not going to get into the technique of what occurs with all of that,” he mentioned.
The speaker mentioned he hopes the feud will “resolve” and mentioned, “I’ll proceed to attempt to be a peacemaker in all of this.”
Johnson added that he thinks it “could be an enormous mistake” for Musk to go after Republicans who help the One Massive Lovely Invoice Act.
“I believe Elon is aware of, on the finish of the day, the explanation he received concerned to assist President Trump win and to assist Republicans win the bulk within the Home and the Senate is as a result of he understands that our insurance policies are higher for human flourishing, they’re higher for the U.S. economic system, they’re higher for every little thing that he is concerned in,” Johnson mentioned. “I believe when the emotion settles down, I believe he’ll acknowledge now we have no selection. We have now to carry the Home majority within the 2026 mid-term election, and we’ll as a result of we have got to permit President Trump 4 full years, not simply two.”
