In the News

Rep. Mike Johnson, one of 50 Republicans pushing for legislation to block federal funding for the Department of Homeland Security's Disinformation Governance Board, Friday on Newsmax called on President Joe Biden to dissolve the "dystopian" group before it begins.

"It's really just a surreal measure that it's come to this," the Louisiana Republican said on Newsmax's "National Report." "It's blatantly unconstitutional, I believe, and President Biden needs to dissolve this thing before it gets out of the blocks. If he doesn't, then we're going to do everything within our power to make sure it has no fuel."

Johnson said he is optimistic that some House Democrats will vote for the defunding bill, as some of his colleagues have expressed their "deep concerns" about the board.

"This is really a crazy measure," he said. "I was a constitutional law attorney before I got to Congress. For 20 years, I was in court defending free speech, the sanctity of life, and all of our fundamental freedoms. It is a very settled, very well-established principle of American jurisprudence that the government has no role whatsoever in determining what supposedly is true speech or acceptable speech. It's outrageous that they would go this far."

Johnson said he does think the Disinformation Board could be struck down in court, "but we can't afford to let this experiment go this far. This really is an outrageous measure and we need to stop them."

In addition, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is the "worst possible person" to be over the board, because "he is incapable of telling the truth himself," said Johnson. "He got in front of our House Judiciary Committee less than a week ago and insisted that the border is secure. I mean, come on, the facts speak for themselves."

Further, Nina Jankowitz, the disinformation board's chief, has become infamous over the years for spreading disinformation while calling the Hunter Biden laptop story a Russian information play, and accepting the Russian collusion "hoax as the gospel truth," said Johnson.

"She's supposed to be in charge of determining what is what is true and what is acceptable speech and it's just outrageous," said Johnson.

Johnson also spoke out about the border and maintained the Biden White House's policies have led to a "humanitarian catastrophe" there.

"It's not even a crisis anymore," he said. "It's a catastrophe" that is making Americans less secure.

"We're bringing in untold amounts of dangerous fentanyl and narcotics," said Johnson. "It's the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45, with drug overdoses related to this open border. Of course, we have dangerous persons coming in an untold number. We have at least 42 known terrorists who are in the country, and Secretary Mayorkas told [Rep.] Jim Jordan and me and my colleagues in the House Judiciary Committee he's not really sure where they are."

Also on Friday, Johnson spoke out against threats against Supreme Court justices after a draft document on the Roe v. Wade decision was released earlier this week.

"It's dangerous, and it's an extraordinary level of hypocrisy that we've come to expect from Democrats in Washington now," he said. "They have told us how we must save democracy and save our institutions. They do not care at all if the decisions and the outcomes are not what they want and expect and they'll just burn it down."

Protesters say they are planning protests at conservative justices' homes, and that "puts our entire justice system in peril. It's outrageous," said Johnson.

"The president should put down a heavy hand and say enough. We believe in free speech and protest, but not at the homes of the people who are serving in our government," he said.