Democratic Senator from Arizona, Ruben Gallego, mentioned on Thursday that he had to hold himself back during a tense encounter with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
In a CNN interview on Wednesday, Johnson stood by his decision not to swear in Democratic lawmakers until the government reopens. Gallego shared a video where he criticized Johnson, branding him a “liar” and claiming he was using members’ oaths as leverage for political gain.
“No, we didn’t change the terms. If you watch that video closely, just look at Ruben Gallego’s body language—arms crossed. It’s pretty telling. He’s not being truthful. It’s like they’re trying to pin everything on Epstein. This is happening because the House isn’t in regular session; it’s all due to the Democrats shutting things down,” Johnson responded when asked about his run-in with Gallego.
Gallego was quick to respond in his own interview.
“He’s just lying, and it’s kind of creepy. He’s literally echoing my thoughts. I told him exactly what I think. He’s holding Adelita Grijalva hostage from being the 218th vote on the discharge petition. It’s really that straightforward,” Gallego asserted.
He added that he had to restrain his emotions during the difficult discussion with Johnson.
“His reasons keep shifting. I think the media isn’t pressing him enough, but I did yesterday. I’m sure he was glad to see my arms crossed. There’s a reason for that; it’s how Marines keep themselves composed,” Gallego explained.
Johnson’s team was quick to respond to Gallego’s remarks. Edgar A. Barrios from the Speaker’s Rapid Response Team made comments online following the exchange.
Senators Mark Kelly and Gallego confronted Johnson on Wednesday, accusing him of hindering healthcare negotiations outside his official residence and delaying the swearing-in of Arizona congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva. Kelly claimed Johnson was letting Republican lawmakers enjoy a lengthy summer break, while Gallego argued that Johnson was stalling Grijalva’s oath to prevent a vote on disclosing the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Johnson countered that Democrats, along with their media supporters, were misrepresenting the facts about taxpayer-funded healthcare for undocumented immigrants. He alleged that Democrats aimed to restore nearly $200 billion in benefits to noncitizens during negotiations to reopen the government, and he planned to challenge what he referred to as left-wing narratives in upcoming media appearances.
Johnson’s office has not yet replied to a request for comment.
