Speaker Johnson: ‘It Is Bidenomics That Got Us Into This Mess’
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) delivered a sharp rebuke of Democrats’ economic record this week, blaming so-called “Bidenomics” for soaring inflation and cost-of-living pressures — while crediting President Donald J. Trump and Republicans for restoring economic stability and growth.
Speaking during a Monday interview on Fox News with co-hosts Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino, Johnson outlined what he described as the clear contrast between Democrat-driven government spending and Republican, pro-growth economic policies that are now producing measurable results.
“What the President is referring to when he calls [affordability] a ‘hoax’ is the Democrats’ spin; it is Bidenomics that got us into this mess. It is Bidenomics, the outrageous spending levels that drove inflation to 40-year highs, that’s why prices are up now,” Johnson said when asked about Republican efforts to reverse the Democrats’ cost-of-living crisis.
Johnson emphasized that Republicans wasted no time acting once they regained control of Washington under President Trump’s second term.
“We got to work on it immediately in January when Republicans took over the Congress, the House, the Senate, and the White House, and we did exactly what we said we were going to do: bring down inflation, cut taxes and grow the economy. And that’s what all the indicators are saying. Now, inflation is going down, gas prices at a five-year low, the growth rate is over 5%. That would’ve been unimaginable, even conservative economists didn’t think that was possible,” he said.
According to Johnson, those results validate the Republican agenda.
“But it is evidence that when our policies are implemented, they work. Trump policies, Republican policies, are doing right by the American people and they’re going to reward that at the ballot box in this upcoming midterm election in November,” he added.
Johnson Slams Democrats Over ICE and Border Enforcement
Johnson also criticized Democrats for renewed calls to defund or abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), warning that such rhetoric undermines public safety and national security.
“They can’t because Republicans control Congress. This is no time to be playing games with national security and public safety. And that’s what Democrats are doing, beating the drums up here. Remember what ICE stands for? It’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are enforcing the law. They are apprehending the dangerous criminals who were allowed into our country because Joe Biden kept the border wide open for four years,” Johnson said.
He pointed to the estimated surge of illegal immigration under the previous administration and the strain it placed on major cities.
“It is estimated more than 20 million people came in, many of them were a great danger to our community. A lot of them have collected in cities like Minneapolis, you know, these sanctuary cities. They’re all there. And so, ICE has to go and do its job. There’s a lot of spin on the Democrat side. They’re assaulting our law enforcement officers and they’re breaking the law. They need to get out of the way and allow federal law enforcement to do its duty that serves all the American people,” Johnson added.
AOC Criticized Over Stop Insider Trading Act Claims
Johnson concluded by responding to attacks from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other Democrats over the Stop Insider Trading Act, dismissing their criticisms as inaccurate and politically motivated.
“AOC is wrong as usual; she clearly hasn’t read the legislation. It bans trading stocks for anyone in Congress. And this is an important step to go forward because there have been a handful of people who have abused that over the years, and they’ve enriched themselves and they’ve engaged in insider trading,” Johnson said.
He stressed that restoring public trust in Congress is central to the legislation.
“It’s against the law, but we have to police it here because it’s people’s belief in, faith and trust in Congress that’s at stake. So, this is a very important step forward. AOC as usual has no idea what she’s talking about. It wasn’t drafted by wealthy lawmakers; it’s by rank-and-file members who are here serving our constituents, and we want to send that signal to the American people that they can trust Congress. This is a big step forward,” Johnson concluded.