🔗 Share this article Ignorance is BS: Speaker's Go-To Answer on Trump's Controversies is Repeatedly 'I Don't Know' The Speaker of the US House, Mike Johnson, has adopted a repeated tactic when asked about controversial actions from Donald Trump or officials of his government. His answer is typically some variation of "I don't know about that." When challenged about the latest controversy from the Trump administration, Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, often claims he is in the dark—including recently regarding allegations about a disputed U.S. military strike. Compared to past leaders, who managed House proceedings and worked to hold the executive branch accountable, Johnson's approach is both extraordinary and an abandonment of that position's traditional responsibility, according to scholars on the U.S. Congress. “It’s quite atypical for a speaker to plead ignorance about what the commander in chief is doing, particularly as frequently as Speaker Johnson,” commented Matthew Green, a politics professor. “The president is a pretty prominent figure... and this president in particular is a expert of getting attention.” While lawmakers often dodge answering questions, Johnson's habit of doing so is especially striking because of the constitutionally significant place the speaker occupies in the federal system. “Very few officers are mentioned explicitly in the constitution; the speakership is one of them,” Green added. “I would say it’s definitely the job of the speaker to be aware of what the president is doing and saying.” A Tactic of Claimed Unawareness There are at least fourteen recorded cases of Johnson claiming he had lacked time to review news on a significant story from the Trump administration. These include questions about: Individuals granted clemency by Trump. Actions by federal immigration authorities. The president's personal finances. The management of the military. Specific Instances In May, after Trump hosted a exclusive event for top investors in a cryptocurrency tied to him, sparking concerns about profiteering, a news host confronted Johnson. “I really have a hard time imagining that if this was a Democratic president... you wouldn’t be angry,” the host said. Johnson replied: “I don’t know anything about the dinner... I’m not going to comment on something I haven’t even heard about.” Later, in October, after Trump pardoned a digital currency mogul convicted of money laundering, a reporter questioned Johnson if he was concerned by the president's claim that he didn't know the individual. “I haven't seen anything about that. I didn’t see the interview,” Johnson said. He also claimed he didn't “know anything” about a pardoned January 6 rioter who was later arrested for allegedly threatening a congressional leader. “It defies belief that the House Speaker would be uninformed of what a president is doing when it’s widely reported among reporters and on social media,” Green said. Deflection and Justification Johnson furthermore alternatively justifies the president or states it’s not his responsibility to address the issue. When asked about Trump reportedly accepting a very expensive jet as a gift from Qatar, Johnson reportedly used all three tactics: claiming ignorance, defending the action, and stating it wasn't his concern. “I’m not following all the twists and turns... I have certainly heard about it,” Johnson told reporters. “My impression is it’s not a personal gift... I’m going to leave it to the administration... It’s not my lane.” Green pointed out that, logically, “you cannot have all three.” “If you are unaware about it, then how can you defend it? And if it’s not your responsibility, then why are you talking about it? And it absolutely is his responsibility, for the record. It’s the job of Congress to ensure that laws are obeyed,” Green said. Staff and Political Ignorance Experts note that even if Johnson is personally busy, he has a sizable staff to keep him updated. “You know perfectly well there is somebody briefing him on all this stuff,” said Larry Evans, a professor of government. “It is not that he is ignorant about it – any more, honestly, than when President Trump claims, ‘Oh, I didn’t know about that.’” Last week, when asked about a significant report detailing a potentially illegal military strike ordered by the administration, Johnson's response was typical. “I’m not going to comment on any of that. I was pretty busy yesterday. I didn’t follow a lot of the news,” he responded. Given Congress’s authority to declare war, experts argue that claiming no knowledge on such a matter is an abdication of dutiful governing. Partisan Calculus Analysts see the political calculus behind Johnson's approach. The speaker doesn't just leads the chamber but also a narrow majority party, so he must work to keep his conference united. “I think he sees his role as leader of his party and ally to the White House as critical,” said one analyst. Still, “his loyalty to Trump is somewhat exceptional.” Furthermore, in the frenetic news cycle of Trump's current administration, repeatedly saying "I don't know" can be an useful tactic. “Just saying ‘I have no comment’ – and knowing that probably in 12 hours there will be something else that people are thinking about – it’s not a poor strategy,” said one observer.
The Speaker of the US House, Mike Johnson, has adopted a repeated tactic when asked about controversial actions from Donald Trump or officials of his government. His answer is typically some variation of "I don't know about that." When challenged about the latest controversy from the Trump administration, Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, often claims he is in the dark—including recently regarding allegations about a disputed U.S. military strike. Compared to past leaders, who managed House proceedings and worked to hold the executive branch accountable, Johnson's approach is both extraordinary and an abandonment of that position's traditional responsibility, according to scholars on the U.S. Congress. “It’s quite atypical for a speaker to plead ignorance about what the commander in chief is doing, particularly as frequently as Speaker Johnson,” commented Matthew Green, a politics professor. “The president is a pretty prominent figure... and this president in particular is a expert of getting attention.” While lawmakers often dodge answering questions, Johnson's habit of doing so is especially striking because of the constitutionally significant place the speaker occupies in the federal system. “Very few officers are mentioned explicitly in the constitution; the speakership is one of them,” Green added. “I would say it’s definitely the job of the speaker to be aware of what the president is doing and saying.” A Tactic of Claimed Unawareness There are at least fourteen recorded cases of Johnson claiming he had lacked time to review news on a significant story from the Trump administration. These include questions about: Individuals granted clemency by Trump. Actions by federal immigration authorities. The president's personal finances. The management of the military. Specific Instances In May, after Trump hosted a exclusive event for top investors in a cryptocurrency tied to him, sparking concerns about profiteering, a news host confronted Johnson. “I really have a hard time imagining that if this was a Democratic president... you wouldn’t be angry,” the host said. Johnson replied: “I don’t know anything about the dinner... I’m not going to comment on something I haven’t even heard about.” Later, in October, after Trump pardoned a digital currency mogul convicted of money laundering, a reporter questioned Johnson if he was concerned by the president's claim that he didn't know the individual. “I haven't seen anything about that. I didn’t see the interview,” Johnson said. He also claimed he didn't “know anything” about a pardoned January 6 rioter who was later arrested for allegedly threatening a congressional leader. “It defies belief that the House Speaker would be uninformed of what a president is doing when it’s widely reported among reporters and on social media,” Green said. Deflection and Justification Johnson furthermore alternatively justifies the president or states it’s not his responsibility to address the issue. When asked about Trump reportedly accepting a very expensive jet as a gift from Qatar, Johnson reportedly used all three tactics: claiming ignorance, defending the action, and stating it wasn't his concern. “I’m not following all the twists and turns... I have certainly heard about it,” Johnson told reporters. “My impression is it’s not a personal gift... I’m going to leave it to the administration... It’s not my lane.” Green pointed out that, logically, “you cannot have all three.” “If you are unaware about it, then how can you defend it? And if it’s not your responsibility, then why are you talking about it? And it absolutely is his responsibility, for the record. It’s the job of Congress to ensure that laws are obeyed,” Green said. Staff and Political Ignorance Experts note that even if Johnson is personally busy, he has a sizable staff to keep him updated. “You know perfectly well there is somebody briefing him on all this stuff,” said Larry Evans, a professor of government. “It is not that he is ignorant about it – any more, honestly, than when President Trump claims, ‘Oh, I didn’t know about that.’” Last week, when asked about a significant report detailing a potentially illegal military strike ordered by the administration, Johnson's response was typical. “I’m not going to comment on any of that. I was pretty busy yesterday. I didn’t follow a lot of the news,” he responded. Given Congress’s authority to declare war, experts argue that claiming no knowledge on such a matter is an abdication of dutiful governing. Partisan Calculus Analysts see the political calculus behind Johnson's approach. The speaker doesn't just leads the chamber but also a narrow majority party, so he must work to keep his conference united. “I think he sees his role as leader of his party and ally to the White House as critical,” said one analyst. Still, “his loyalty to Trump is somewhat exceptional.” Furthermore, in the frenetic news cycle of Trump's current administration, repeatedly saying "I don't know" can be an useful tactic. “Just saying ‘I have no comment’ – and knowing that probably in 12 hours there will be something else that people are thinking about – it’s not a poor strategy,” said one observer.