Speaking to his fellow MAGA conservatives in a segment on the Real America’s Voice network, Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) vividly described his disappointment with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson‘s “unfortunate” legacy.
Portraying Johnson as a virtual stranger barely a week after the Speaker held a joint press conference with former President Donald Trump, who said Johnson had his support, Burlison said: “I don’t even recognize the person that I once called a friend.”
How did Speaker Johnson (R-LA) fall so far, so fast, in the MAGAverse? Johnson’s work this week — against the wishes of Freedom Caucus Republicans — to push through multiple foreign aid bills that support Ukraine and Israel showed the Speaker, with the thinnest of majorities, compromising with Democrats in the House.
As a result, Burlison criticized the Speaker in terms others might view as approbative: “Johnson has become,” Burlison said, “his reputation, his history, his legacy will be the Speaker who got things done with Democrats.” He followed that assessment with: “Unfortunately, that’s a fact.”
Rep. Eric Burlison: “Johnson has become – his reputation, his history, his legacy, will be the Speaker who got things done with Democrats. Unfortunately, that’s a fact. I don’t even recognize the person that I once called a friend.” pic.twitter.com/NpDlptY37m
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 19, 2024
With Congress suffering approval ratings nearing the single digits — and the chief cause being the legislative body’s inaction, intransigence and infighting — Burlison’s criticism is being seen by some as an example of what the internet likes to call “not the own you think it is.” But it lands for one of the show’s co-hosts, Miranda Khan, who responds: “Wow, that’s an indictment.”
In contrast, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), back in the House after winning a special election to replace the expelled George Santos, delivered a broad condemnation of the unwillingness to compromise, saying that “the people are sick of it.” Suozzi says some in Congress are acting disingenuously, hoping to use the “chaos” that results from inaction as an electoral tool — making sure, that is, that things stay broken so one can promise on the campaign trail to fix them.
Souzzi: We had a bipartisan solution… we didn’t go forward because Trump and others said we don’t want to give Biden a victory… It’s not a victory for Biden, it’s for the United States of America. People are sick of this. pic.twitter.com/v4zPmeeXlX
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 19, 2024
Voting against the bills and standing against compromise not for the sake of chaos, but on principle, he claims, is Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) — who says Johnson’s foreign aid circumvented legislation to fix the problems at the border, which Roy portrays as at least as important for global stability and America’s future as the challenges posed by Russia and Vladimir Putin.
Chip Roy doesn’t seem too happy with Speaker Johnson pic.twitter.com/xYcw59aBi3
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 19, 2024