In response to House Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson claiming that January 6 insurrectionists were “innocent” and just “walking through the building,” DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Instead of trying to ‘protect’ January 6 insurrectionists, Mike Johnson should listen to the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to defend against this horrific attack on our Capitol and stop downplaying a violent attempt to overturn an election. Claiming that insurrectionists were ‘innocent’ and only ‘walking through the building’ isn’t just a slap in the face to law enforcement who were there — it’s also yet another desperate and dangerous attempt to whitewash a direct assault on our democracy.”

Mike Johnson urged supporters to “fight” on the morning of January 6 and has since tried to downplay the riot and prevent those who violently attacked law enforcement from being charged. 

Johnson on January 6, 2021: “We MUST fight for election integrity, the Constitution, and the preservation of our republic! It will be my honor to help lead that fight in the Congress today.”

Louisiana Illuminator: “Johnson, who is close to Trump, did not acknowledge that the people who attacked the Capitol were the president’s supporters. He told a reporter that he thought there was a possibly a ‘big mix of people involved in this.’”

“‘I don’t think President Trump is any more responsible for what happened at the Capitol today than the congressmen of Portland are responsible for what happened there,’ said Johnson, referring to some violence that erupted in Oregon over the summer. ‘What caused [the Capitol riot] is the same thing that has caused all the unrest over the last many months.’”

2021: Johnson voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6 attack.

NBC News: “Speaker Mike Johnson says he’s blurring Jan. 6 footage so rioters don’t get charged”

In addition to his work to “protect” insurrections, Johnson was an “architect” of Trump’s Big Lie — helping spread election conspiracy theories and leading the effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

HuffPost: “Johnson, a former lawyer, led an amicus brief signed by over 100 Republican members of Congress backing a flawed Texas lawsuit that asked the Supreme Court to overturn the 2020 election. He also played a key role in crafting the rationale that many of his GOP colleagues used in justifying their votes to throw out the 2020 election results ― even just hours after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.”

Washington Post: “Johnson played one of the most significant roles of any member of Congress in the effort to overturn the election.”