Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and House Republicans have been determined to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas despite complete Democratic opposition. But a Sunday interview with Meet The Press showed that Johnson’s playbook is one he’s attacked before.
Moderator Kristen Welker played the House Speaker multiple clips of his comments in 2019 when he served on then-President Donald Trump’s impeachment defense team for his impeachment over comments to Ukraine’s president. “The founders of this country warned against single-party impeachments,” Johnson said numerous times.
“What changed, Mr. Speaker?” Welker pressed him.
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Johnson tried to defend his past comments, arguing that Democrats were determined to impeach Trump before he assumed the presidency. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who presided over the House during both of Trump’s impeachments, had resisted impeaching Trump for months before his comments pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came to light.
Johnson then tried to argue House Republicans had “methodically” investigated both Mayorkas and Biden through multiple House committees.
“We have followed the facts where they have led,” Johnson said. “Not for political purposes. Not because we take pleasure in this. It’s, again, a heavy thing to look at the impeachment of a president or a Cabinet secretary. But these facts require it. The House of Representatives has the constitutional responsibility of impeachment, and that begins with the investigation.”
The House is scheduled to vote on Mayorkas’ impeachment articles this week, though one GOP representative—Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO)—has already said he wouldn’t support the impeachment. Republicans can only afford two more defections before the vote fails.
