Washington — Home Speaker Mike Johnson diverted Sunday on questions on attainable violence and safety issues forward of the certification of the presidential election outcomes early subsequent yr, citing election integrity as a “better challenge.”
“There’s quite a lot of nice work that is been carried out on the federal, state and native degree to stop the chaos that ensued after 2020, the COVID election yr,” Johnson stated on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday.
When requested about defending safety on the Capitol forward of Congress’ counting of the electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2025, Johnson made assurances that steps have been taken to harden the amenities, whereas arguing that the “greater story” revolves round election integrity.
“We have got to make it too huge to rig,” Johnson stated, including that almost all states have carried out “nice work” to “shore up their programs and to make it possible for we now have a free and truthful election.”
Johnson, questioned about what he’s doing to stop the violence skilled on Jan. 6, 2021, stated he does not anticipate to see “something like that.” He argued that there “have been all types of issues about fraud and irregularity” within the 2020 election, whereas including that he is hopeful “that this can be a free and truthful and authorized election.”
CBS Information
The speaker urged all governors to work to safeguard the election course of, whereas arguing that it is also Congress’ obligation to approve voter integrity measures and “attempt to encourage that that will be happening in each state.”
A majority of voters belief their state’s election system, in line with new polling from CBS Information, whereas solely 1 / 4 of voters suppose there can be widespread fraud within the 2024 election. However amongst supporters of former President Donald Trump, half say they anticipate widespread fraud. And half of Trump voters additionally need the previous president to problem the election outcomes if Vice President Kamala Harris wins.
Johnson on Sunday solid doubt on the voting programs, arguing that noncitizens could vote regardless of it being in opposition to federal legislation. Johnson stated that “we now have to verify the legislation is adopted,” arguing that in some states, there’s “no mechanism” to stop the voting. The Home handed laws earlier this yr that will require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
Nonetheless, the speaker stated he expects — and is praying for — a “free and truthful, authorized election throughout the board.”
The feedback come as Johnson, who performed a main function in Trump’s authorized effort to overturn the 2020 election, has made statements in latest weeks suggesting that the certification of the election outcomes is conditional. The speaker advised reporters final month that the Home would certify the election outcomes in the event that they have been truthful, saying, “if we now have a free, truthful and protected election, we’ll comply with the Structure — completely.”
Johnson clarified on “Face the Nation” that “Congress will comply with the Structure.”
“I assure you that — I’ve made a profession of that,” he stated. “We’ll have the peaceable transition of energy.”
Congress’ counting of the electoral votes has historically been a formality. However in 2021, protesters — a few of whom resorted to violence — tried to halt the method. Whereas the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol failed to stop the certification of the election, some Democrats have warned in opposition to a repeat of the violence after this yr’s election.
In the meantime, Trump has refused to publicly acknowledge that he misplaced the 2020 election 4 years on. And his operating mate, Sen. JD Vance, declined to reply straight when requested on the vice presidential debate earlier this month whether or not Trump misplaced the election. Earlier this month, the speaker would not say whether or not Trump misplaced the 2020 election when requested repeatedly on ABC’s “This Week.”
