House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) played dumb when asked about Eric Trump's suggestion that Democrats were responsible for an assassination attempt on his father at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
“I haven't heard all the comments, I don't know the context,” said Johnson, who told George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC's “This Week,” that he “just saw the clip” of the former president's son as it was broadcast on the channel program.
He later continued, “I don't think they're saying the Democratic Party attempted an assassination attempt. I think they mean what we've all been saying: they need to reject the rhetoric.”
Eric Trump – who, along with his brother Donald Trump Jr. accused Democrats of being behind the attempted murder of their father this summer – returned this weekend to the site of the rally where he again linked the party to the shooting that left one attendee dead.
“They tried to kill him, they tried to kill him and that's because the Democratic Party can't do anything right. They can't do anything right,” Eric Trump told the crowd in Butler on Saturday.
Stephanopoulos reminded Johnson, who in July called on politicians to “tone down the rhetoric,” of his comments at the time.
“So is it right for the president and his family to suggest that Democrats are behind the attempt to assassinate him?” Stephanopoulos asked.
Johnson, who has backed Trump despite his deadly 2021 coup attempt, stuck to the claim that Democrats have “incited” people with their rhetoric while dismissing rumors that Trump is a “threat to democracy” hand pointed.
Stephanopoulos wasn't having it and read Eric Trump's comments verbatim.
“Do you support these comments or not?” the host asked.
“I don't know what Eric said because I only heard a snippet there, I don't know the context -,” Johnson said.
“You just saw it, sir,” Stephanopoulos interjected.
'Very down to earth and a very intelligent person. I saw your clip of it, George, I haven't seen the full speech. We all have to look at these things in the full context,” Johnson responded.
Stephanopoulos then questioned Johnson and reread the comments.
“What more context do you need? Do you support this statement or not?” he asked.
“George, George, I'm not going to parse the language of what people say at meetings,” Johnson responded.
