House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) found himself in a contentious interview while appearing on “Meet the Press” on Sunday. In the duel with Kristen Welker, Johnson was overwhelmed with questions about Donald Trump’s health. While he provided a commendable backlash, the scene exposed the deep rot that has afflicted mainstream journalism.
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In the first part of the exchange, Welker insists that Trump started a FEMA program to redirect aid to illegal immigrants. This is the same program that recently came under fire after DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that it was running out of money to deal with hurricanes this season.
Kristen Welker tried to humiliate Speaker Johnson and became completely desperate.
All the politics aside, it’s lovely to see a smug journalist reduced in this way 👏 pic.twitter.com/4eYG1rB5W0
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) October 14, 2024
WELKER: We should note that FEMA funds were actually redirected under Donald Trump’s watch to address the migrant issue. Let me ask you, you mentioned the medical records, should Trump…
I want to stop here because while Johnson fact checks them, the bigger issue here is the framing. For these journalists, the issue of illegal immigration is just a topic of conversation. The context doesn’t matter, which is why Welker thinks she’s having a trapped moment. However, that’s not it. As Johnson points out, the fund in question is created and used each fiscal year.
That means spending under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris is their responsibility. The amounts also play a role. Under Trump, for example, the EFSP-H only received $30 million. In Biden’s first year it was number was $150 million.
Regardless, everything then turned to Trump’s health as Welker pressed Johnson about the former president’s cholesterol levels.
WELKER: Should Donald Trump release all of his medical records?
JOHNSON: He released his doctors’ files as a distraction because she’s desperate and sinking in the polls. Donald Trump’s health is on display. Everyone in America can see it. The man works nonstop. He never gives up. He probably sleeps four hours a night. He doesn’t need as much sleep as the average person. He is an unusual figure and that is the strength we need at a time like this. We are in the most threatening moment since World War II. You have to have strength. You have to have a steady hand. You need a commander in chief that our allies respect and our enemies fear. They are not afraid of Kamala Harris. They fear Donald Trump. People will vote on this.
WELKER: Mr. Speaker, to be clear: He did not release all of his medical records. He has published two letters. Should he release the results of the cognitive test he said…?
JOHNSON: It’s unnecessary. He can be seen every minute.
WELKER: So it’s unnecessary, you can see he hasn’t released his medical records. They don’t want to know things like his cholesterol level or whether he’s dealing with some problem that we might not know about when he becomes commander in chief. And he also said that he would publish the cognitive test that he passed with flying colors.
JOHNSON Kristen, listen to your question (crosstalk). Kristen, the American people don’t care about Donald Trump’s cholesterol levels. They care about the cost of living and the fact that they can’t pay for their groceries because the policies of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have put them in this situation.
There could be a legitimate argument about whether or not Trump should release his medical records. However, I’m sure no one at NBC News or in the broader mainstream press has the right to make that argument. These are the same people who completely ignored Biden’s dramatic cognitive (and physical) problems. At one point, a Parkinson’s expert walked up to NBC News and pointed out the president clearly suffers from the disease. This network has never asked a single further question on this topic.
It wasn’t until Biden nearly collapsed on stage during the first presidential debate that there was finally some excitement in the press, and that was only to ensure that he was replaced by Harris. Welker had an opportunity to press Democrats on whether Biden should release cognitive test results or his broader records, but she never did. Instead, she did what she and her colleagues always do, which was to support with the cover-up.
As for Johnson’s specific response to Trump’s cholesterol levels, he’s right that no one cares. This is just like the tax return hysteria. In the end, when they were stolen and released, there was nothing left. MSNBC had to try to portray basic corporate write-offs as a scandal. American voters are concerned about the issues that affect them. Right now that means you have to decide whether you want to stick with the last four years or change course.
I give Johnson credit for combating Welker’s biased portrayal, but there needs to be a real discussion about whether Republicans should provide these networks anything. These appearances only serve to give legitimacy and credibility to leftist hackers who don’t deserve it. The press is rotten to the core and it’s not going to get better.
