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On Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) took a swipe at House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) priorities, contrasting Capitol Hill's paralysis over a weeks-long shutdown with Johnson's promotion of a signature drive to nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Newsom Contrasts Shutdown With Nobel Signature Push On X, Newsom wrote on Sunday, "The government is shut down. Troops might not get paid. Healthcare is about to disappear for millions. And Mike Johnson is spending his time collecting signatures for Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize." Johnson, appearing earlier Sunday on Fox News' "The Morning Briefing," praised Trump's role in brokering a Gaza cease-fire and said he and Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana are soliciting endorsements from parliamentary leaders worldwide to co-nominate Trump for the next Nobel. Mike Johnson’s Campaign For Trump’s Peace Prize Nomination "I think he greatly deserves the Nobel Peace Prize," Johnson said. "Speaker Ohana of the Knesset and I have joined forces to collect as many signatures as we can … to join us in co-nominating President Trump … Nobody is more deserving." See Also: Trump May Finally Take Freddie And Fannie Public, Says Bill Pulte: No Limit To ‘What They Could Be Worth’ With $7 Trillion In Assets Johnson announced last Tuesday that he would coordinate the outreach with Ohana to rally support tied to the cease-fire and the release of Israeli hostages. Johnson has previously argued Trump merits the prize for other reasons, including what he characterized as a post-election crime decline in Washington, D.C., after federal intervention in local policing in August. Under Nobel rules, members of parliamentary assemblies are eligible nominators, though the committee keeps nominations confidential for 50 years. Senate Stalemate And Rallies Frame Political Backdrop Newsom's jab comes as the Senate again failed to advance Republican plans to reopen the government, with Democrats holding out for health-care provisions aimed at averting premium spikes when Affordable Care Act subsidies expire. The clash followed nationwide "No Kings" demonstrations by Trump critics over the weekend, which Republicans, as per a Politico report, dismissed as political theater amid the budget fight. The signature-gathering effort highlights how the Gaza truce has quickly become a political touchstone. Johnson and allies cast Trump's diplomacy as historic, while Democrats argue Congress should focus on ending the shutdown and safeguarding services. Read Next: Xi Jinping Faces ‘Unprecedented’ Turmoil Within Communist Party, Says Leading China Expert As Trump Ramps Up Tariffs Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shutterstock.com
