’20 Years Was a Pittance!’ Mike Johnson Takes Fiery Stand Against a Ghislane Maxwell Pardon — As Trump Keeps Door Open

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) took a fiery stand against a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell — something on which President Donald Trump has not closed the door.

In an interview with Kristen Welker on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday, the speaker — at first — stayed mum on whether he believes Maxwell should get a pardon in exchange for cooperation with the DOJ, deferring that decision to the president. On Friday outside the White House, Trump notably said that he hadn’t thought about a pardon for Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate, but that he’s “allowed to do it.”

“This week President Trump didn’t rule out a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell,” Welker said. “Of course, that’s one of the big questions looming over all of this. So let me put this to you, Mr. Speaker, would you support a pardon or a commutation for Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker?”

“Well, I mean, obviously that’s a decision of the president,” Johnson said. “He said he had not adequately considered that. I won’t get in front of him. That’s not my lane. My lane is to help direct and control the House of Representatives and to use every tool within our arsenal to get to the truth.”

Welker followed up — trying to get Johnson to state his personal view.

“Are you open to a pardon or commutation?” Welker asked. “I mean, Mr. Speaker, the victims referred to Maxwell as Epstein’s right-hand woman. Here’s what one victim who testified under a pseudonym told the court as sentencing, ‘The many acts that were perpetrated on me by Epstein, including rape, strangulation and sexual assault were never consensual and would not have occurred had it not been for the cunning and premeditated role Ghislaine Maxwell played.’ Is that someone deserving of a pardon or commutation in any circumstance, Mr. Speaker?”

Johnson, at that point, got off the fence and denounced the idea of Maxwell getting sprung.

“If you’re asking my opinion, I think 20 years was a pittance!” Johnson said. “I think she should have a life sentence at least. I mean, think of all these unspeakable crimes, and as you noted earlier, probably 1,000 victims. I mean … it’s hard to put into words how evil this was, and that she orchestrated it and was a big part of it, at least under the criminal sanction, I think is an unforgivable thing.

“So again, not my decision, but I have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would.”

Johnson — who has been in lockstep with Trump on just about every issue — has sounded a different note on the Epstein story. In an interview with CBS Thursday, the speaker said he does not believe the Epstein story is a “hoax” — contrary to Trump’s repeated insistence that it is.

“It’s not a hoax,” Johnson said. “Of course not.”

Watch above, via NBC.