Mike Johnson Says Reporters ‘Bait’ Him Daily Over Trump’s Provocative Remarks

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters he is repeatedly "baited" to respond to President Donald Trump's controversial comments, saying he is asked to weigh in on the president's statements and those of other Republicans almost daily.

At a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Trump repeated derogatory language about immigrants from "hellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and many other countries," prompting a crowd member to shout, "Sh*tholes," a reference to a widely reported private remark attributed to Trump in 2018. Trump responded to the heckler, "I didn’t say sh*thole — you did!" and later acknowledged the 2018 reporting, saying, "And we had a meeting, and I say, 'Why is it we only take people from sh*thole countries?'"

Johnson’s Exchange With Manu Raju

On Wednesday, CNN correspondent Manu Raju caught up with Speaker Johnson at the Capitol and posted the brief exchange on X. When asked whether he was comfortable with the president referring to countries such as Somalia in that way, Johnson said reporters "bait" him every day to comment.

RAJU: He referred to countries like Somalia as "sh*thole countries." I’m wondering if you’re ok with that kind of language.

JOHNSON: Look, I’m baited every day with, asking to be made—asked to comment about what the president or other members say or do.

RAJU: It’s the president of the United States! Don’t you have an opinion on it?

JOHNSON: Yeah, 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 when you have people coming in, not assimilating, and trying to take over the country. We had illegal aliens, like 20 million of them under four years of Biden. It’s a crisis for the country, and that’s the frustration you hear in his voice and the language he uses.

Johnson maintained that, while he does not use that language, the president's remarks reflect frustration over immigration and border challenges. Johnson also reiterated an unverified claim that there were "like 20 million" illegal immigrants during "four years of Biden" — a figure that is disputed and not substantiated by official data.

During the same rally, Trump again attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who is Somali-American, saying, "We oughta get her the hell out." The exchange and Johnson’s remarks were reported by Mediaite.

Why It Matters: The episode highlights the ongoing tension between congressional leaders and the media over whether and how to respond to incendiary presidential rhetoric. It also underscores continuing debate about immigration, disputed figures about undocumented populations, and the political consequences of inflammatory public language.