Trump Allies Battle Dem Heckler at Cringe Shutdown Presser

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other Trump allies tried to shut down a Democratic lawmaker who disrupted a press conference about the government shutdown by demanding he call Democratic leaders to set up a meeting.

President Donald Trump laid significant blame for Tuesday night’s Democratic sweep at the feet of the shutdown in remarks to Senate Republicans Wednesday morning.

Shortly thereafter, Johnson held a press conference with fellow GOP lawmakers to try and message against the Democrats. But as Johnson began to take questions, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) began shouting.

Johnson and Rep. Lisa McLain (R-MI) tried to silence Houlahan, but eventually Johnson responded when she persisted:

SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Okay, questions, yes. (INAUDIBLE) I’m calling on somebody else. We’re having a press conference, thank you.

REP. CHRISSIE HOULAHAN (D-PA): I am part of the American people.

SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Yes, ma’am. And you should respect free speech. What’s the question? What’s a question?

REP. CHRISSIE HOULAHAN (D-PA): I’m asking you a question if you’re ready to have a conversation with the other side. You represent all of us. You are the speaker for all of our service. You have an obligation not just to respect the rights of your colleagues over here.

SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I’d love to talk with you. Wait, wait, wait. I’d like to talk to you. Come to my office, okay?

REP. CHRISSIE HOULAHAN (D-PA): You have an obligation to follow the leadership of both parties–.

REP. LISA MCLAIN (R-MI): YOU have an obligation!

REP. CHRISSIE HOULAHAN (D-PA): –and bring us together and solve this problem together.

SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Okay, let’s talk about it. I’ve been doing that. We did that before the shutdown began.

We went to the White House. We went and sat in front of the Resolute Desk. We brought Leader Jeffries and Leader Schumer in and we had a discussion.

The President said, please don’t shut the government down. It would cause all this pain to the American people.

This has never happened before. It’s a clean, nonpartisan CR that every Democrat including you voted no on on September 19th.

You voted to shut down the government. You’ve voted to stop SNAP benefits. You have voted to not pay troops, not pay TSA, Border Patrol.

You may regret it now but that’s your vote and it’s on the record.

So the president had us in and they didn’t want to have a dialog debate they think they thumbed their nose at him and and he had to do it.

REP. CHRISSIE HOULAHAN (D-PA): –fighting–.

SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Appreciate it. thanks for input so i give me a question that’s real.

Watch above via Fox 5 DC and CBS News’ Patrick Maguire.