🔗 Share this article Ignorance is BS: House Leader's Stock Response on Trump's Misdeeds is Often 'I Don't Know' The Speaker of the US House, Mike Johnson, has crafted a go-to response when pressed about questionable actions from President Trump or officials of his administration. His response is consistently some form of "I am unaware about that." When challenged about the most recent report from the Trump administration, Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, repeatedly says he is not aware—including recently regarding reports about a disputed U.S. military strike. Compared to his predecessors, who oversaw House proceedings and sought to hold the executive branch accountable, Johnson's strategy is simultaneously extraordinary and an abandonment of that position's traditional duty, according to experts on the U.S. Congress. “It’s quite rare for a speaker to say he doesn't know about what the commander in chief is doing, especially as often as Speaker Johnson,” said Matthew Green, a politics professor. “The president is a pretty high-profile figure... and this president especially is a master of getting attention.” While politicians often dodge answering questions, Johnson's propensity of doing so is notably striking because of the powerful place the speaker holds in the federal system. “Hardly any officers are mentioned explicitly in the Constitution; the role of Speaker is one of them,” Green added. “I would say it’s absolutely the job of the speaker to stay informed about what the president is doing and saying.” A Tactic of Claimed Unawareness There are at least 14 documented instances of Johnson stating he had not been briefed to review news on a significant event from the Trump administration. These encompass questions about: Individuals granted clemency by Trump. Actions by federal immigration authorities. The president's personal finances. The handling of the military. Specific Instances In May, after Trump hosted a exclusive event for top investors in a cryptocurrency tied to him, sparking ethical questions, a news host confronted Johnson. “I really have a difficult time imagining that if this was a Democratic president... you wouldn’t be angry,” the host said. Johnson responded: “I am unaware anything about the dinner... I’m not going to comment on something I haven’t even heard about.” Later, in October, after Trump pardoned a crypto executive convicted of money laundering, a reporter asked Johnson if he was troubled by the president's statement that he didn't know the individual. “I haven't seen anything about that. I didn’t see the interview,” Johnson responded. He also stated he didn't “know anything” about a forgiven January 6 rioter who was later arrested for allegedly threatening a congressional leader. “It strains credulity that the speaker of the House would be ignorant of what a president is doing when it’s all over the news among reporters and on social media,” Green said. Deflection and Defense Johnson furthermore frequently defends the president or argues it’s outside his purview to address the issue. When questioned about Trump accepting a multi-million dollar jet as a gift from Qatar, Johnson allegedly deployed all three strategies: claiming ignorance, defending the action, and stating it wasn't his concern. “I’m not following all the twists and turns... 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 argued that, logically, “you cannot have all three.” “If you are unaware about it, then how can you defend it? And if it’s not your job, then why are you commenting about it? And it absolutely is his responsibility, for the record. It’s the job of Congress to ensure that laws are followed,” Green concluded. Resources and Political Ignorance Experts note that even if Johnson is individually busy, he has a large team of aides 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 major report detailing a potentially illegal military strike ordered by the administration, Johnson's response was characteristic. “I’m not going to comment on any of that. I was very busy yesterday. I didn’t see a lot of the news,” he stated. Given Congress’s authority to declare war, experts argue that claiming no knowledge on such a matter is an abdication of responsible governing. Partisan Reality Analysts see the partisan calculus behind Johnson's approach. The speaker not only leads the chamber but also a slim majority party, so he must work to keep his conference united. “I think he sees his role as party leader and supporter to the White House as paramount,” said one analyst. Still, “his fealty to Trump is somewhat exceptional.” Furthermore, in the fast-paced news cycle of Trump's current administration, repeatedly pleading ignorance can be an effective tactic. “Just saying ‘I have no comment’ – and knowing that likely in 12 hours there will be new controversy that people are thinking about – it’s not a poor strategy,” said one observer.
The Speaker of the US House, Mike Johnson, has crafted a go-to response when pressed about questionable actions from President Trump or officials of his administration. His response is consistently some form of "I am unaware about that." When challenged about the most recent report from the Trump administration, Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, repeatedly says he is not aware—including recently regarding reports about a disputed U.S. military strike. Compared to his predecessors, who oversaw House proceedings and sought to hold the executive branch accountable, Johnson's strategy is simultaneously extraordinary and an abandonment of that position's traditional duty, according to experts on the U.S. Congress. “It’s quite rare for a speaker to say he doesn't know about what the commander in chief is doing, especially as often as Speaker Johnson,” said Matthew Green, a politics professor. “The president is a pretty high-profile figure... and this president especially is a master of getting attention.” While politicians often dodge answering questions, Johnson's propensity of doing so is notably striking because of the powerful place the speaker holds in the federal system. “Hardly any officers are mentioned explicitly in the Constitution; the role of Speaker is one of them,” Green added. “I would say it’s absolutely the job of the speaker to stay informed about what the president is doing and saying.” A Tactic of Claimed Unawareness There are at least 14 documented instances of Johnson stating he had not been briefed to review news on a significant event from the Trump administration. These encompass questions about: Individuals granted clemency by Trump. Actions by federal immigration authorities. The president's personal finances. The handling of the military. Specific Instances In May, after Trump hosted a exclusive event for top investors in a cryptocurrency tied to him, sparking ethical questions, a news host confronted Johnson. “I really have a difficult time imagining that if this was a Democratic president... you wouldn’t be angry,” the host said. Johnson responded: “I am unaware anything about the dinner... I’m not going to comment on something I haven’t even heard about.” Later, in October, after Trump pardoned a crypto executive convicted of money laundering, a reporter asked Johnson if he was troubled by the president's statement that he didn't know the individual. “I haven't seen anything about that. I didn’t see the interview,” Johnson responded. He also stated he didn't “know anything” about a forgiven January 6 rioter who was later arrested for allegedly threatening a congressional leader. “It strains credulity that the speaker of the House would be ignorant of what a president is doing when it’s all over the news among reporters and on social media,” Green said. Deflection and Defense Johnson furthermore frequently defends the president or argues it’s outside his purview to address the issue. When questioned about Trump accepting a multi-million dollar jet as a gift from Qatar, Johnson allegedly deployed all three strategies: claiming ignorance, defending the action, and stating it wasn't his concern. “I’m not following all the twists and turns... 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 argued that, logically, “you cannot have all three.” “If you are unaware about it, then how can you defend it? And if it’s not your job, then why are you commenting about it? And it absolutely is his responsibility, for the record. It’s the job of Congress to ensure that laws are followed,” Green concluded. Resources and Political Ignorance Experts note that even if Johnson is individually busy, he has a large team of aides 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 major report detailing a potentially illegal military strike ordered by the administration, Johnson's response was characteristic. “I’m not going to comment on any of that. I was very busy yesterday. I didn’t see a lot of the news,” he stated. Given Congress’s authority to declare war, experts argue that claiming no knowledge on such a matter is an abdication of responsible governing. Partisan Reality Analysts see the partisan calculus behind Johnson's approach. The speaker not only leads the chamber but also a slim majority party, so he must work to keep his conference united. “I think he sees his role as party leader and supporter to the White House as paramount,” said one analyst. Still, “his fealty to Trump is somewhat exceptional.” Furthermore, in the fast-paced news cycle of Trump's current administration, repeatedly pleading ignorance can be an effective tactic. “Just saying ‘I have no comment’ – and knowing that likely in 12 hours there will be new controversy that people are thinking about – it’s not a poor strategy,” said one observer.