Mike Johnson Blunts Democratic Fury, Turns Tables with Nancy Pelosi’s Own Precedent in Explosive House Showdown
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Speaker of the House Mike Johnson delivered a calm yet cutting rebuttal to Democratic outrage this week, effectively silencing critics who had accused him of political obstruction for delaying the swearing-in of a newly elected Democratic representative. Johnson’s move, executed without the bombast typical of Washington’s political sparring, relied entirely on the procedural precedent previously established and defended by former Speaker
Nancy Pelosi.The confrontation arises amid a continuing government shutdown (referenced in the video as entering its third consecutive week), with Democrats accusing Johnson of deliberately undermining democracy by preventing the newly elected representative,
Rep. Grijalva of Arizona, from taking her oath of office. Johnson, however, exposed the hypocrisy of the attacks by citing multiple instances during Pelosi’s speakership where similar delays were implemented.
The Core Dispute: A Seat in Session
The controversy centers on the timing of administering the oath of office to a member-elect who won a special election to fill a vacant seat.
Rep. Grijalva won her race in late September, after the House had already entered a recess and was not in legislative session. Democrats, including the Arizona Attorney General, threatened lawsuits and launched a media campaign alleging that Johnson was unilaterally blocking the representative from serving her constituents.
Johnson’s response was direct, pointing out that the House has historically only administered the oath when it is formally in session—a rule strictly adhered to by his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.
“I will administer the oath to her. I hope on the first day we come back in legislative session. I’m willing and anxious to do that,” Johnson stated, adding that the Democrats’ outrage was simply a manufactured crisis for “national publicity.”
Citing the Pelosi Precedent: Democrats’ Double Standard
The most effective part of Johnson’s defense was his meticulous recollection of precedents set by the Democratic leadership. He provided concrete examples where Speaker Pelosi employed the exact same delay tactics:
Julia Letlow (Republican): Johnson pointed out that following Julia Letlow’s election to fill her deceased husband’s seat, Speaker Pelosi took 25 days to administer the oath of office.Pat Ryan and Joe Sempolinski (Democrats):
Johnson cited another instance where two representatives were elected during an August recess, and the Democratic leadership waited 21 days to administer their oaths because the House was not in session.
“Following the Pelosi precedent,” Johnson asserted, highlighting the selective outrage from the Democratic party. “The chronology is important.”
The argument immediately exposed a double standard. When Pelosi’s Democratic majority used the rule, it was considered “strategic” or “smart.” Now that Republicans are enforcing the same long-standing procedural rule, the media and Democrats are spinning it as “authoritarian” and “the end of the world.”
The Chaos and the Cover-Up: Democrats’ Role in the Shutdown
Johnson used the controversy as an opportunity to pivot and lay the blame for the continuing government chaos squarely at the feet of the Democrats. He argued that the Democrats were “playing political games” while the country suffered.
Instead of engaging in “TikTok videos,” Johnson suggested, the representative-elect should be serving her constituents by “taking their calls” and “directing them, trying to help them through the crisis that the Democrats have created by
shutting down the government.”He then revealed a crucial tidbit of information regarding the representative-elect’s inability to access resources:
Lack of Guidance: Johnson noted that the representative-elect’s party leaders in the House are responsible for reaching out and providing guidance on setting up her office.
Office Shut Down: He discovered that the person who runs the Chief Administrative Office (CAO)—which handles setting up computers and passwords for new members—was on furlough because Democrats had voted to shut down the government.“The person who runs that office in the Chief Administrative Office is on furlough because they voted to shut the government down,” Johnson said.
This revelation turned the criticism on its head: the representative-elect’s office difficulties were not due to Johnson’s malice, but a direct consequence of the Democrats’ own votes to shut down federal operations.
Signalling a New Era: Fighting Double Standards
Johnson’s move is seen by many Republicans as a clear signal that the era of Republicans caving to Democratic procedural maneuvers is over. For years, as Johnson and others noted, Democrats “weaponized every procedural loophole” and procedure, from impeachment theatrics to selective committee removals, against Republicans.
Johnson is effectively adopting a “hit me, I hit you back” mentality, demonstrating that Republicans will now enforce the same rules and precedents that Democrats used during their time in power.
“Now that the House Speaker, the new House Speaker is using one small aspect of what they did to Republicans, now it’s not fair,” the host summarized. “It’s really pathetic, isn’t it?”
Johnson’s underlying message to the Democratic party remains: If Democrats want cooperation, they need to start respecting the same rules they used for their political gain on Republicans. Until the government reopens, Johnson is refusing to bend the knee to the pressure, demonstrating a new willingness to stand firm against political maneuvering.