Sen. Ruben Gallego’s Tense Encounter with Speaker Mike Johnson
On Thursday, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego from Arizona revealed that he had to hold back physically during a heated interaction with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
In a CNN interview, Johnson defended his choice to delay swearing in Democratic lawmakers until the government reopens. Gallego shared a video of this exchange, characterizing Johnson as a “liar” and accusing him of putting lawmakers’ oaths “hostage” for political leverage.
Johnson, while discussing the incident with Jake Tapper, remarked, “No, we didn’t change the terms. Just look at Ruben Gallego’s body language. His arms are crossed; it’s uncomfortable. He’s not being truthful. This is all part of the Epstein situation, and it seems like they’re trying to divert attention. The House isn’t in session because the Democrats are shutting things down.”
Gallego was clear in his response during the interview.
“He’s such a liar. It’s quite unsettling, really. I told him exactly what I was thinking. He’s effectively holding Adelita Grijalva hostage so she can’t be the 218th vote on the discharge petition. It’s straightforward,” Gallego stated.
He mentioned needing to restrain himself as the exchange escalated. “His reasoning keeps shifting. I think maybe the media isn’t pressing hard enough, but I did yesterday. He probably finds my crossed arms reassuring. There’s a reason Marines cross their arms; it helps us keep ourselves in check,” Gallego explained.
However, experts suggest that crossing arms is often interpreted as a closed-off or defensive gesture; ideally, open hand positions are encouraged to convey calmness.
Johnson’s team responded quickly, with Edgar A. Barrios from the Speaker’s Rapid Response Team addressing the claims online.
Additionally, both Gallego and Democratic Senator Mark Kelly confronted Johnson, accusing him of obstructing healthcare negotiations and delaying the swearing-in of congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva. Kelly criticized Johnson for allowing Republican lawmakers to prolong their “extended summer break,” while Gallego argued that Johnson was stalling Grijalva’s oath to hinder a vote on the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Johnson countered by stating that Democrats and their media supporters are misleading the public about taxpayer-funded healthcare for undocumented immigrants, emphasizing that they are trying to restore nearly $200 billion in benefits for noncitizens within government reopening negotiations. He pledged to counter what he described as left-wing narratives in upcoming media appearances.
Johnson’s office has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding these allegations.
