House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) complained Wednesday after he was asked his thoughts on President Donald Trump's profane and racist attacks on what he called "s---hole countries," while Republicans try to advance their defense spending bill.
CNN's Manu Raju described how Republicans are struggling to pass the first procedural vote in the Republican-majority House to get its annual defense policy bill approved — slated for nearly $900 billion in military funding — tied to mixed reactions to reports that have questioned the second strike on an alleged drug boat on Sept. 2 in the Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela. A provision in the bill would attempt to force Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to release the unedited videos of the strikes in question.
"Right now, eight Republicans are voting no. The Speaker can only afford to lose a couple along party lines, which is why he is in a bit of a bind," Raju said, adding that the House could use the Capitol Hill under suspension of the rules, which would force a two-thirds majority vote to pass the bill.
"We do expect that to eventually happen because Democrats want this bill to pass. So that will be approved eventually. Despite this drama we're seeing right now play out in the Capitol," Raju added.
Raju asked Johnson his response to Trump's comments at a rally in Pennsylvania Tuesday night, where he made offensive comments about different countries, including Somalia, which he said is among a host of "s---hole countries."
"Look, I'm baited every day with asking to be asked to comment about what the president or other members say," Johnson complained.
"It's the president of the United States. Do you have an opinion on it?" Raju pressed.
"Well, of course, I have an opinion. That's not the way I speak. And you know that. But the president is expressing his frustration about the extraordinary challenge that is presented to America," Johnson said. "When you have people coming in, not assimilating and trying to take over the country. We had illegal aliens, like 20 million for four years. It's a crisis for the country. And that's the frustration you hear in his voice and the language..."
