House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News viewers on Saturday they should blame their economic woes on President Donald Trump's war with Iran.
Johnson appeared on Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany to defend his party as a growing number of conservatives say they blame Trump for the nation's worsening economy.
"We put in this Congress into place all the economic conditions to let the economy take off like a rocket," Johnson said. "Then we got into the conflict with Iran ... that's the big headwind we have."
Under usual circumstances, blaming the war for economic woes would also have implicated Congress — but Trump didn't seek Congressional approval.
Despite Iran's vow Saturday that it would continue to enforce its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz until Trump gave up on his "delusions," Johnson claimed the conflict would end "soon" and then gas prices and grocery prices would return "to planet Earth."
Viewers of this exchange were stunned Johnson would so blatantly cast blame on Trump — even if he didn't mention his name.
"Did Mike Johnson just admit on fox news that President Trump Iran war f---ed up their own economic plans?" replied X user Jose M.
"Johnson subtly admitting it’s Trump’s fault the economy is in the s---er," added X user Chris Robinson. "Oh it’s the war that’s not a war’s fault? Weird!"
Trump supporters in Florida would agree with Johnson's assessment, according to recent reporting from The Bulwark's Sarah Longwell.
In her interviews with Trump's 2024 supporters, they frequently slapped him with a C-grade or less and cited the economy and the war as reasons why.
"We really need to be focused more on the economy and getting gas prices down," one voter said. "He keeps saying it's going to happen but it hasn't yet."
Johnson, for his part, said during the interview that such voters shouldn't expect handouts anytime soon.
"If you're a young person and you're disenchanted," asked McEnany, "you can't afford a home, you're having trouble with healthcare and you feel failed by the economy, what is the Republican alternative?"
"Well, the answer is not to turn everything over to the government," he said, "because that never works."
