In a tense and fiery exchange on ABC News, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) refused to answer direct questions about Donald Trump’s controversial remarks suggesting that American cities could be used as “training grounds” for the U.S. military — a plan Trump reportedly pitched to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in front of military brass at the Pentagon.
ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos opened the segment by pressing Johnson on the implications of Trump’s statement.
“The President also said at the Pentagon yesterday that he wants American cities to be used as training grounds for the American military,” Stephanopoulos stated. “Is this the highest and best use of the U.S. military, and is this the right way to train them?”
Johnson, rather than addressing the deeply unsettling idea of militarizing domestic cities, sidestepped entirely: “I don’t serve in the Pentagon. I run the House of Representatives,” he said. “And what we need to be talking about today is real harm that the American people are going to feel because of what Chuck Schumer is doing.”
Stephanopoulos didn’t let the deflection slide. “No, answer the question! As Speaker of the House, do you believe it’s appropriate to use American cities as training grounds for the U.S. military, calling those people in American cities the enemy within?”
Johnson again dodged: “I’m not going to comment on your characterization of what the president said. I didn’t get to see that speech because I was a little busy yesterday.”
The host fired back: “Those are quotes. They’re not characterizations.”
Unmoved, Johnson accused Stephanopoulos of spin: “Well, you can take his quotes out of context, which you often do, and I don’t think that’s fair to the president. I’ll tell you what he’s done, though. He’s put National Guard troops here in D.C. and cleaned up the crime problem.”
“And I think that’s probably what he was addressing there,” Johnson added.
But Stephanopoulos wasn’t buying it. “Nothing I said about the president was out of context. Those were direct quotes from the president.”
“Cherry-picked out of a long speech,” Johnson grumbled, refusing to further engage on the matter.
The exchange, while revealing Johnson’s full-throated loyalty to Trump, also laid bare his unwillingness to confront the disturbing reality of what Trump is openly proposing: using military force in American streets against what he considers “the enemy within.”
Watch the full exchange below from ABC News:
