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House Speaker Mike Johnson battled ABC News host Jonathan Karl on Sunday over Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon press policy and Johnson’s own rhetoric about the anti-Trump “No Kings” protests around the country.
“Do you have a sense for why the secretary of Defense seems to be afraid to interact with journalists who cover him?” Karl asked Johnson.
Hegseth is enforcing a new policy requiring journalists to agree to specific conditions in order to be granted access. Many news organizations are pushing back against the policy, with dozens of reporters turning in their press badges last week rather than comply.
Johnson pushed back and said, “Fear is not part of the Secretary of War’s make-up, OK?”
Karl argued that Hegseth has only had two press briefings since leading the Pentagon.
“And they’ve basically forced the Pentagon press out of the building unless they would agree to sign a pledge that would make it impossible to be independent journalists,” Karl said.
Johnson said Hegseth’s public appearances and speeches showed his transparency.
“I can’t remember, and I don’t think you can either, a secretary of defense who has been so transparent, out in the open, talking about priorities, principles and things,” Johnson said.
Karl also pressed Johnson on his rhetoric about the nationwide “No Kings” protests being rallies about hating America.
“Just on this notion that these are ‘hate America’ rallies — and you not only talked about anarchists, antifa advocates, pro-Hamas wing — you said this is the modern Democratic Party,” Karl said. “But I remember not that long ago what you said after the murder of Charlie Kirk when you said that we should view fellow Americans, not as our enemies, but as our fellow countrymen.”
Johnson also pushed back when Karl said some of the language reminded him of Hillary Clinton’s infamous “deplorables” remarks about supporters of President Donald Trump. But he said he was trying to warn Americans about the modern Democratic Party.
“Look at what’s happening in New York,” Johnson said, referring to the rise of Zohran Mamdani. “They’re about to elect an open socialist Marxist as the mayor of America’s largest city.”
Karl and Johnson also went back and forth over the shutdown, as Karl demanded to know why the House was not in session.
“The House did its job, exactly a month ago today on September 19. We passed the clean resolution,” he said. “The Democrats have voted 11 times, except for three Democrats in the Senate, they voted 11 times to shut down the government and cease and halt those programs,” Johnson said.
“If President Trump was a king, the government would be open right now,” Johnson said at one point.
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