Johnson expresses his conviction that Trump comprehends the fact that the House Republican faction lacks sufficient votes to approve the SAVE Act.
Sure thing, buddy! Here's the paraphrased story:
The ex-prez has publicly urged Republicans to cause a government shutdown if they can't join the disputed policy aimed at halting non-citizens from voting in elections, to the government funding bill.
Johnson stated, "President Trump gets it, he's aware of the stakes and he's pissed off just like I am that we couldn't nail it down in the initial round, but we're back in the game." He added, "But we're back in the game, we've got a plan B in the works, we're having some solid brainstorming sessions to make that happen. I'm sure we'll get it sorted over the weekend."
The SAVE Act is a Republican-led legislative piece that passed the House independently back in July. It demands official documents proving United States citizenship to register for federal voting, even though non-citizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections. The House failed to pass a six-month GOP funding bill for the government on Wednesday, which included the controversial clause.
Upon being questioned directly if Trump wants a government shutdown because of this issue, Johnson replied, "Look, President Trump gets why we're in a pickle. He's all about election security, just like I am. We're gonna utilize every weapon, every tactic, every platform available to push that agenda."
Johnson added, "I've spent a lot of time with Trump."
Government funding is expected to run out by the end of this month.
When asked about Acting Director Ronald Rowe of USSS declaring that the agency is moving into the accountability phase of its investigation into the latest assassination attempt on the ex-president, Johnson said, "We certainly hope that's true. We're gonna do our best to make that happen."
Johnson also said, "We'll see," when asked if he believes USSS is capable of holding individuals accountable.
Johnson concluded, "I sure hope so. We need the same kind of protection for Donald Trump as a sitting president does."
The ongoing politics surrounding election security have led to a stalemate in passing the government funding bill, as the SAVE Act, a contentious policy aimed at preventing non-citizens from voting, has been included in the bill. Johnson expressed his support for President Trump's stance on election security, stating they will utilize every available resource to push this agenda.
