🔗 Share this article Ignorance is BS: Speaker's Stock Response on the President's Misdeeds is Repeatedly 'I Don't Know' The US House Speaker, Mike Johnson, has developed a standard tactic when questioned about questionable events from President Trump or officials of his government. His answer is frequently some variation of "I haven't heard about that." When pressed about the most recent scandal from the Trump presidency, Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, repeatedly says he is in the dark—including recently regarding news about a disputed U.S. military strike. Compared to his predecessors, who oversaw House proceedings and worked to hold the executive branch responsible, Johnson's approach is both extraordinary and an dereliction of that position's historic duty, according to experts on the U.S. Congress. “It’s fairly atypical for a House leader to say he doesn't know about what the commander in chief is doing, particularly as consistently as Speaker Johnson,” noted Matthew Green, a political science professor. “The president is a pretty visible figure... and this president especially is a master of getting attention.” While lawmakers often evade answering questions, Johnson's propensity of doing so is notably noteworthy because of the constitutionally significant place the speaker occupies in the federal system. “Very few positions are specified explicitly in the constitution; the speakership is one of them,” Green said. “I would say it’s definitely the responsibility of the speaker to stay informed about what the president is saying and doing.” A Tactic of Claimed Ignorance There are at least a dozen recorded examples of Johnson stating he had not heard to review information on a high-profile story from the Trump administration. These range from questions about: Individuals pardoned by Trump. Actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The president's personal finances. The use of the military. Notable Examples In May, after Trump hosted a private dinner for top investors in a cryptocurrency tied to him, raising ethical questions, a news host challenged Johnson. “I truly have a difficult time believing that if this was a Democratic president... you wouldn’t be outraged,” the host said. Johnson answered: “I am unaware anything about the dinner... I’m not going to comment on something I am completely unaware of.” Later, in October, after Trump pardoned a digital currency mogul convicted of money laundering, a reporter asked Johnson if he was concerned by the president's claim that he didn't know the individual. “I am not aware anything about that. I didn’t see the interview,” Johnson said. He also claimed he didn't “have details” about a pardoned January 6 rioter who was later arrested for allegedly threatening a congressional leader. “It is hard to believe that the speaker of the House would be ignorant of what a president is doing when it’s common knowledge among reporters and on social media,” Green remarked. Deflection and Justification Johnson furthermore alternatively defends the president or argues it’s not his job to address the issue. When asked about Trump reportedly accepting a multi-million dollar jet as a gift from Qatar, Johnson reportedly deployed multiple tactics: claiming ignorance, defending the action, and stating it wasn't his concern. “I’m not tracking all the developments... I have definitely heard about it,” Johnson told reporters. “My understanding is it’s not a personal gift... I’m going to leave it to the administration... It’s not my lane.” Green noted that, logically, “you can’t have all three.” “If you don’t know about it, then how can you justify it? And if it’s not your responsibility, then why are you commenting about it? And it is his responsibility, for the record. It’s the job of Congress to ensure that laws are obeyed,” Green stated. Resources and Strategic Avoidance Experts note that even if Johnson is individually busy, he has a large staff to keep him informed. “You know perfectly well there is someone briefing him on all this stuff,” said Larry Evans, a professor of government. “It is not that he is unaware about it – any more, honestly, than when President Trump claims, ‘Oh, I didn’t know about that.’” Last week, when asked about a serious report detailing a potentially illegal military strike ordered by the administration, Johnson's answer was characteristic. “I’m not going to prejudge any of that. I was pretty busy yesterday. I didn’t catch a lot of the news,” he said. Given Congress’s authority to declare war, analysts argue that claiming no knowledge on such a matter is an failure of dutiful governing. Partisan Reality Analysts see the political calculus behind Johnson's strategy. The speaker doesn't just leads the chamber but also a thin majority party, so he must work to keep his conference together. “I think he sees his role as leader of his party and supporter to the White House as paramount,” said one analyst. Still, “his loyalty to Trump is rather exceptional.” Furthermore, in the frenetic news cycle of Trump's second term, repeatedly saying "I don't know" can be an effective tactic. “Just saying ‘I have no comment’ – and knowing that probably in 12 hours there will be another story that people are thinking about – it’s not a poor strategy,” noted one observer.
The US House Speaker, Mike Johnson, has developed a standard tactic when questioned about questionable events from President Trump or officials of his government. His answer is frequently some variation of "I haven't heard about that." When pressed about the most recent scandal from the Trump presidency, Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, repeatedly says he is in the dark—including recently regarding news about a disputed U.S. military strike. Compared to his predecessors, who oversaw House proceedings and worked to hold the executive branch responsible, Johnson's approach is both extraordinary and an dereliction of that position's historic duty, according to experts on the U.S. Congress. “It’s fairly atypical for a House leader to say he doesn't know about what the commander in chief is doing, particularly as consistently as Speaker Johnson,” noted Matthew Green, a political science professor. “The president is a pretty visible figure... and this president especially is a master of getting attention.” While lawmakers often evade answering questions, Johnson's propensity of doing so is notably noteworthy because of the constitutionally significant place the speaker occupies in the federal system. “Very few positions are specified explicitly in the constitution; the speakership is one of them,” Green said. “I would say it’s definitely the responsibility of the speaker to stay informed about what the president is saying and doing.” A Tactic of Claimed Ignorance There are at least a dozen recorded examples of Johnson stating he had not heard to review information on a high-profile story from the Trump administration. These range from questions about: Individuals pardoned by Trump. Actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The president's personal finances. The use of the military. Notable Examples In May, after Trump hosted a private dinner for top investors in a cryptocurrency tied to him, raising ethical questions, a news host challenged Johnson. “I truly have a difficult time believing that if this was a Democratic president... you wouldn’t be outraged,” the host said. Johnson answered: “I am unaware anything about the dinner... I’m not going to comment on something I am completely unaware of.” Later, in October, after Trump pardoned a digital currency mogul convicted of money laundering, a reporter asked Johnson if he was concerned by the president's claim that he didn't know the individual. “I am not aware anything about that. I didn’t see the interview,” Johnson said. He also claimed he didn't “have details” about a pardoned January 6 rioter who was later arrested for allegedly threatening a congressional leader. “It is hard to believe that the speaker of the House would be ignorant of what a president is doing when it’s common knowledge among reporters and on social media,” Green remarked. Deflection and Justification Johnson furthermore alternatively defends the president or argues it’s not his job to address the issue. When asked about Trump reportedly accepting a multi-million dollar jet as a gift from Qatar, Johnson reportedly deployed multiple tactics: claiming ignorance, defending the action, and stating it wasn't his concern. “I’m not tracking all the developments... I have definitely heard about it,” Johnson told reporters. “My understanding is it’s not a personal gift... I’m going to leave it to the administration... It’s not my lane.” Green noted that, logically, “you can’t have all three.” “If you don’t know about it, then how can you justify it? And if it’s not your responsibility, then why are you commenting about it? And it is his responsibility, for the record. It’s the job of Congress to ensure that laws are obeyed,” Green stated. Resources and Strategic Avoidance Experts note that even if Johnson is individually busy, he has a large staff to keep him informed. “You know perfectly well there is someone briefing him on all this stuff,” said Larry Evans, a professor of government. “It is not that he is unaware about it – any more, honestly, than when President Trump claims, ‘Oh, I didn’t know about that.’” Last week, when asked about a serious report detailing a potentially illegal military strike ordered by the administration, Johnson's answer was characteristic. “I’m not going to prejudge any of that. I was pretty busy yesterday. I didn’t catch a lot of the news,” he said. Given Congress’s authority to declare war, analysts argue that claiming no knowledge on such a matter is an failure of dutiful governing. Partisan Reality Analysts see the political calculus behind Johnson's strategy. The speaker doesn't just leads the chamber but also a thin majority party, so he must work to keep his conference together. “I think he sees his role as leader of his party and supporter to the White House as paramount,” said one analyst. Still, “his loyalty to Trump is rather exceptional.” Furthermore, in the frenetic news cycle of Trump's second term, repeatedly saying "I don't know" can be an effective tactic. “Just saying ‘I have no comment’ – and knowing that probably in 12 hours there will be another story that people are thinking about – it’s not a poor strategy,” noted one observer.