House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) inadvertently kneecapped a key Trump claim during an interview with Piers Morgan on Wednesday.
Johnson joined Morgan on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" to discuss the ongoing government shutdown. Morgan asked Johnson to respond to claims made by Democratic strategist Jack Cocchiarella during the previous panel about President Donald Trump's administration reducing funding for law enforcement
Johnson gave a winding answer, and in doing so inadvertently admitted that Republicans had to reduce funding to pass Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
"In the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' did the federal government increase funding for law enforcement or decrease it?" Morgan asked.
"It was probably a slight increase," Johnson began. "We put a lot of emphasis on returning to law and order and the rule of law."
"We were limited in some respects in what we could do in the Big Beautiful Bill because it was a reconciliation bill," he continued. "Not to get too deep in the weeds on this one...but when you're reconciling a budget, what you have to do is prove that you're going to reduce it and that's what allows it to meet the criteria to pass with a simple, bare majority in the Senate instead of 60 votes."
