On Wednesday, progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) criticized the GOP’s latest nominee for House Speaker, U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA). The conspiratorial Ocasio-Cortez pointed to Johnson’s alleged role in the so-called “strategy” to overturn the 2020 U.S. presidential election and cited his behavior towards a Congressional correspondent in a video attached.
On X, Ocasio-Cortez shared a clip where a reporter asks about his alleged role in the January 6th events. “Introducing extremist GOP Speaker nominee Mike Johnson,” she wrote, “He was a key architect of the Jan 6th strategy to overturn the US election.”
Yesterday, Johnson secured the Republican conference’s nomination for House Speaker after a chaotic series of votes and withdrawals.
Introducing extremist GOP Speaker nominee Mike Johnson.
He was a key architect of the Jan 6th strategy to overturn the US election.
Here he is leading a crowd that’s booing and telling a Congressional correspondent to “shut up” when asking about it. https://t.co/M7Fi4rwaCG
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 25, 2023
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also voiced his concerns about Johnson’s nomination, stating, “Mike Johnson has a very pleasant demeanor, but his voting record is as extreme as the most extreme members of his conference with very few exceptions.”
Johnson’s nomination came after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) stepped down from the race shortly after securing the nomination. Emmer’s decision came in the wake of critiques from several House Republicans and a controversial statement from former President Donald Trump, who labeled Emmer as a “globalist RINO.”
The unexpected turn of events in the GOP Speaker nomination saw a slew of candidates, including Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), make last-minute bids for the gavel. Johnson, however, emerged victorious by the end of the night, with reports indicating that chants of “Mike!” resonated from the room as the Republican members celebrated their unity behind him.
Johnson is set for a floor vote on Wednesday. If elected, he would ascend to the position of House Speaker three weeks after the dismissal of McCarthy. Democrats, including Ocasio-Cortez, are likely to scrutinize Johnson’s record and associations closely in the coming days.