House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is under fire after literally walking away from reporters Tuesday when asked a basic question: When will Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) be sworn in?
The moment was caught on camera, and it wasn’t a good look. Faced with a simple inquiry about seating a duly elected member of Congress, Johnson turned heel and bolted. The silence said everything—and the backlash was swift.
Grijalva, who won a special election last month to replace her late father, longtime Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva, is still waiting to be sworn in. That delay is raising eyebrows—and not just because it leaves Arizona’s 7th District without representation during a government shutdown.
Grijalva herself believes there may be something darker at play.
She pointed to the ongoing push by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. “There’s a discharge petition to release those files,” Grijalva said, suggesting Johnson may be blocking her from being sworn in to prevent her from signing it. “I think that’s possible.”
Democrats aren’t holding back.
“Pathetic,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote bluntly on X (formerly Twitter).
“Your daily reminder that Republicans are doing everything in their power to cover up the Epstein files,” posted Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO).
Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, didn’t mince words either. “Mike Johnson is straight-up denying the voters of #AZ07 the representation they deserve. Why? To keep the Epstein files hidden and shield creepy elites from accountability. Shame on him,” she wrote.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) went even further: “.@HouseGOP is keeping the government shut down to protect pedophiles.”
As the government teeters on the brink, many are wondering what excuse Johnson could possibly have for delaying the swearing-in of an elected member of Congress. There is no known legal or procedural reason not to seat Grijalva.
Nick Frisone of California’s 46th District Democratic Central Committee weighed in with a possible path forward: “Rep-elect Grijalva should contemplate filing a lawsuit. Or one of her constituents should, considering they’re being denied representation when they’ve elected someone.”
And if the Speaker thought ducking a few reporters would be the end of it, he miscalculated.
“He can’t continue to do this if the public does not let up on the demand to release the Epstein files. KEEP GOING,” wrote political commentator Amee Vanderpool.
For now, Speaker Johnson remains silent—and Grijalva remains sidelined. But the outrage is growing louder by the hour, and the reason is becoming harder to deny: It’s all about the Epstein files.
Watch the clip below:
Mike Johnson ignores a question about when he'll swear in Rep.-elect Grijalva and walks away pic.twitter.com/2y217UzXN2
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 7, 2025
