In an interview with Major Garrett, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed concern over the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein case and called for full transparency and accountability.

Washington

House Speaker Mike Johnson responded to criticism regarding his decision to send lawmakers home early amid ongoing controversy over the Jeffrey Epstein case. In an interview, Johnson emphasized the importance of full transparency and justice for all involved, stating that the case is not a hoax and that everyone connected to Epstein's crimes should be held accountable.

Johnson also addressed questions about the House's independence from the White House, asserting that while the House works closely with the Trump administration, it remains a co-equal branch of government. The controversy has led to legislative gridlock, with some House Republicans demanding more action and transparency from leadership and the Justice Department. The issue is expected to remain prominent when Congress reconvenes.

House Speaker Johnson says Epstein case is 'not a hoax'

House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing down critics, critics of his decision to send lawmakers home early for the summer amid controversy over the Epstein case. It's just one of the many issues that Johnson talked about in an interview with our Major Garrett for The Takeout. And to the point when the Trump Justice Department said there were more than 1,000 victims, for people who knew this case very very well, did a lot of investigative work on it, that number surprised them. High, high number. Yeah. Meaning that to their minds, investigative reporters and others, there have to be accomplices, uncharged accomplices, and that aspect of justice is still missing. Yes, and it's a great concern to us. I mean, we want full transparency. We want everybody who is involved in any way with the Epstein evils, let's call it what it was, to be brought to justice as quickly as possible. We want the full weight of the law on their heads. But when the Justice Department said in that same two-page memo there's no reason to pursue further prosecutions, many said how can those two things be properly aligned? These are good questions. I don't know. I've never seen the Epstein evidence. It wasn't in my lane. But I have the same concern and question that a lot of people do. And look, I think the president... This is not a hoax, in other words. Oh, it's not a hoax. Of course not. And Major Garrett joins us now. Major, so glad to have you here. Not a summer of fun and love for Mike Johnson. How much is this Epstein controversy hanging over the Speaker? Well, it hangs over the remainder of this summer, and it will be an enormous issue when Congress returns in September. Now, look, let's be fair to the Speaker and the House Republican majority. They have gotten a lot of work done on behalf of the Trump White House. We'll get to that in a second. It's been a highly productive year so far legislatively. But this has become a crisis of leadership, and here's why. If you get in your car, Tony, and it doesn't work, you know there's something wrong when you push the ignition button and nothing goes on. In the House, the car runs through the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee could not function this week. Why? Because Republicans would not advance legislation to the floor because they wanted something, some signals from leadership about how to proceed on all sorts of resolutions and amendments dealing with Epstein. They got no guidance from leadership, and the House effectively stopped working. The ignition button was essentially disconnected. When the House doesn't work, it can't move legislation. And when it can't move legislation, all attention focuses on leadership. And what leadership is doing right now is deferring to the President and the Trump Justice Department. But as the Speaker just said, justice must be served, which means there have to be more prosecutions, more transparency. And if that doesn't manifest in August, when Congress comes back in September, this is going to be a significant and irritating political issue for the leadership. Major, that was such a great picture you painted. I'm very fascinated by the Speaker because he seems to have taken a big old page from the never-let-him-see-you-sweat school. I'm curious about your thoughts about that. Also, when you were talking to him, did you see that he feels any need to be independent from the White House? I asked him about that because there is a perception that the House Republican leadership and every House Republican basically waits for President Trump or anyone working for him in the White House to say, jump, to which their answer is, how high? And he said, no, no, we're an independent, co-equal branch of government. We work everything out with the White House in advance. All of our dramatic conversations are done behind the scenes. So when we bring something to the floor, we're all aligned. The record that they've achieved so far this year suggests, legislatively, that they are working closely with the White House and getting a lot of the Trump agenda done. Will they ever truly tell the President or the White House, no, we don't see the way things you see it? The Speaker said that was possible. It hasn't happened yet. And on this Epstein matter, getting back to where we started, that might be the first case because lots of rank-and-file House Republicans want to see more from leadership. They want to see more from the Trump Justice Department. And if they don't get it, you may begin to see these breaks and this independent streak finally manifesting itself in the fall. Is he as cool and calm as he appears? He is.

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