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LOADINGERROR LOADING House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) went on a tirade against the media and Democrats after being confronted with an uncomfortable poll Monday revealing which political party Americans blame for the long-running government shutdown. Johnson appeared on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show” to further blame Democrats for the shutdown, spurred by an impasse over Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. Advertisement He accused blue states of abusing government programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which Cain described as a “political football.” “It’s, ’Who is responsible for canceling SNAP benefits with the government shutdown?’” Cain said. The host went on to show Johnson an NBC poll that revealed 52% of voters blame President Donald Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, while 42% blame Democrats. He asked Johnson, “Why would the polls look like that when you are clearly voting to continue to fund the government [and] Democrats are not voting to continue to fund the government?” Advertisement “Well, for one thing, the polls are all over the place,” Johnson said. “I mean, CNN was reporting just on Friday of last week that Republicans were winning this as if it was some sort of political game. The only people who lose here are the American people.” Trump, who usurped Congress’ spending power and made a shutdown deal nearly impossible, told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell in a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday he “won’t be extorted” by Democrats demanding to negotiate extending ACA subsidies. Advertisement He further blamed Democrats for the shutdown Tuesday on Truth Social, stating that he won’t give out even partial SNAP benefits until the party agrees to reopen the government. (His press secretary later said the benefits would be sent out.) Johnson told Cain that the NBC poll didn’t surprise him and attacked media outlets criticizing the GOP during the shutdown. “The entire media establishment is parroting the talking points of the Democrats every day. It’s the most staggering level of gaslighting we have ever seen in American politics,” Johnson said. Advertisement He attacked Democrats for voting against the spending bill at the center of the shutdown and holding press briefings afterward. “And right after they cast the votes, Will, they go out and find the nearest camera, nearest television camera they can. They look right into the lens, and they say it’s the Republicans’ fault. I mean, it’s just madness. It’s absolutely the opposite of the truth,” he said. ReportingWhat'sReal Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Join HuffPost Today This Election Day we’re cutting through the noise. With no billionaire influence or angles, we’re here to inform voters and help you make sense of the election day chaos. By becoming a member you help power this mission. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. Support HuffPost Already a member? Log in to hide these messages. “But I think the longer this drags on and the more pain that’s experienced by real Americans, I think they’re going to be digging beyond the headlines and looking to see who’s really responsible, and the facts are very clear,” Johnson continued.
