House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faced fire from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) this week, who accused Republican leadership of shielding the deep state by blocking her provision from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Stefanik’s push? A simple requirement for the Director of National Intelligence to notify Congress of any U.S. person identified as a “threat to national security” under FISA Section 702.
Johnson’s response? A 2-minute word salad that says everything and nothing. “All of that is false,” he insists, before launching into a lecture on “regular order” – you know, the bureaucratic black hole where good ideas go to die. He claims ignorance (“This hasn’t even made it to my level”), confusion (“I don’t exactly know why Elise won’t just call me”), and helplessness (“I literally had nothing to do with it”). Oh, and a vague promise: “I’m happy to roll up my sleeves and help her.”
This is peak RINO: All the rhetoric of reform, zero spine for the fight. Johnson supports the provision in theory (“I would vote for it”), but when push comes to shove? It’s “process” over principle. Stefanik’s accusation isn’t just frustration – it’s a flashing red warning that the uniparty’s grip on intel abuses remains ironclad, even under GOP “leadership.”
Watch the full clip above. Then ask yourself: If this is the guy holding the gavel, how deep does the swamp really go?
References
- C-SPAN – Speaker Johnson on Accusations from Rep. Stefanik of Protecting Deep State – link ↩
- C-SPAN Full Conference – House Republican Leadership News Conference – link ↩
