DALLAS — House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that far-left wingers of the Democratic Party — including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — are the most dangerous politicians in the US.
Johnson (R-La.) also said that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will face a “nightmare” next year when the new batch of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are sworn into Congress — though he predicted Dems will still be in the minority.
“I would say there’s a type,” Johnson told The Post when asked about the “most dangerous” politician in the country. “It’s the Mamdani, El-Sayed, AOC wing of the party that is a danger to the whole country, because they do not believe in the founding principles of America.”
“They have disdain for American principles, and they want to take us down a dark, dangerous road,” the speaker further warned on the sidelines of the Republican midterm convention. “And it’s not just one individual; it’s that trend that we’re seeing. There are many Mamdanis who popped up all around the country, and they don’t understand history.”
Johnson and his GOP colleagues in Congress have been touting legislative accomplishments, including tax cuts, during Trump’s second term while also painting a dark picture to convention attendees of what’s at stake if Democrats take the House.
DSA candidates won seven Democratic primaries during this cycle, including several in Jeffries’ backyard. Additionally, a crop of hardcore lefty candidates like El-Sayed in Michigan, who aren’t technically DSA but espouse far-left policies, emerged victorious.
Throughout his speakership, Johnson has had to grapple with slim majorities and multiple Republican lawmakers who have been willing to break ranks on critical votes. But Johnson predicted Jeffries’ dilemma will be worse.
“Jeffries is going to have a nightmare on his hands, but it’s a very different challenge than the one I have in the Republican conference,” he said. “My task every day is to get all the conservatives together, the rugged individualists, and all their ideas, and find a consensus.”
“Hakeem has the opposite approach. He is going to have people in his conference who hate America, hate its founding principles, and want to blow it up — figuratively, in legislation,” the speaker went on. “They want to tear down all the foundational principles of the country.”
Despite their fierce differences, Johnson revealed that he has “a very cordial relationship” with his Democratic counterpart, adding that “I like Hakeem as a person, and I obviously have great empathy for the challenge that he has to deal with.”
Two years ago, Jeffries famously helped bail out Johnson from a revolt staged by former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) over his decision to allow a vote on aid to Ukraine. Democrats voted “present” to save Johnson from the ouster effort.
But some members of House GOP leadership are doubtful that they’ll even be working with Jeffries next year.
“He can’t control his caucus now,” House GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) told The Post. “How’s he going to control it next year if all these crazies get in; if all these communists get in, the writing’s on the wall.”
“Who even knows if he’s going to be [leader] next year?” she added.
The Post contacted Jeffries’ and Mamdani’s offices for comment.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) rejected the label DSA or progressive.
“They are communists. DSA is a nonsense term,” he said. “They both have the same goal: it’s to control human beings. It’s authority. It’s just that one does it by the ballot box, and the other one does it by force.”
All three GOP leaders were bullish about Republicans’ chances of holding onto the House despite all the chatter among the pundit class of an impending blue wave.
“We recruited extraordinary candidates. [We have] a very strong message,” Johnson said. “They have a fundraising advantage right now in the entire Republican ecosystem. We’ve raised far more funds than Democrats for the first time in a decade.”
“I believe we grow the majority.”
