Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to the press on Capitol Hill. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
Increasing public pressure appears to have caused Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to change his tune about a scandal-ridden Republican.
On Monday, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) faced calls to resign after it was revealed that he was involved in a sex scandal with one of his aides, who later took her own life through self-immolation. Those calls continued throughout the week and may have prompted Johnson to push back against the lawmaker.
Johnson said on Wednesday that the accusations against Gonzales are "alarming and detestable."
"I said to him publicly and privately, he's got to address that directly and head on with his constituents," Johnson said. "There's a primary there in less than a week, these things will play out, so we're allowing that to happen."
Johnson's comments come at a time when Republicans in the House of Representatives hold one of the narrowest margins in the body's history at just one vote. A resignation or a primary loss by Gonzales could flip control of the House to Democrats, who are expected to move to impeach Trump once they win the majority.
Johnson has held out against calling for Gonzales to resign, although multiple Republicans have called on the Texas lawmaker to step down.
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