During a rather odd interaction with a reporter, President Biden called House Speaker Mike Johnson “dead on arrival”.
This statement comes shortly after Biden requested that Congress impose term limits and a code of conduct on the Supreme Court, Fox News says. According to Johnson, Biden’s proposal is:
“Telling that Democrats want to change the system that has guided our nation since its founding…because they disagree with…recent decisions…This dangerous gambit…is dead on arrival in the House”.
What Mike Johnson meant by “dead on arrival” is easy to understand: the proposals, for lack of better terms, will get a big “NO” stamped on the front of them and Congress will move on to other matters.
After arriving in Austin, Texas, on Monday Biden was asked by a reporter for a response to Johnson’s claims. When told what Johnson said, the president responded “I think that’s what he is”.
Further questioning of what Biden meant was met with a reiteration that Johnson “is dead on arrival”, before the president vowed to find a way to get the proposed terms passed.
An hour later, Biden clarified in a speech that he was referring to Johnson’s thinking. According to Fox News, Biden told his audience “The Republican Speaker of the House said, whatever he proposes [is] dead on arrival…I think his thinking is dead on arrival”.
Of course, this has taken over social media. Mostly, the comments are calm, with X seeing normal reactions, jokes at Biden’s expense, and a few people believing his political career is over.
While most people aren’t taking what Biden said seriously, some are. Two people highlighted by Fox News, Conservative commentator Steve Guest and Federalist senior legal correspondent Margot Cleveland, are claiming that Biden threatened Johnson.
Johnson doesn’t seem that concerned though. In response, Fox News says he posted a clip of the debate between Trump and Biden. The clip in question? Trump saying “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either”.
Considering Biden’s state of mind lately, having a slip-up is more likely than threatening the House Speaker.
Fox has reached out to both the White House and Johnson for comments. So far, neither have responded.
