House Speaker Mike Johnson is getting torched online after an eyebrow-raising gaffe where he appeared to say Republicans have “defended that evil ideology” — referring to Nazism.
Speaking to reporters at the Capitol amid the ongoing government shutdown, Johnson was attempting to underscore the Republican Party’s values in contrast to those of their Democratic counterparts. What came out, however, was a verbal faceplant that instantly lit up social media.
“We fought the Nazis. We’ve defended that evil ideology.”
It was meant to be a moment of righteous indignation — instead, it sparked a full-blown firestorm.
The misstep came as Johnson aired his grievances about the Senate’s handling of the spending bill passed by the House weeks earlier. With the shutdown stretching into its 16th day, the speaker’s frustration was palpable. But his choice of words turned a political speech into a PR disaster.
Critics wasted no time pouncing. The moment reminded many of Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s now-infamous flub just last month, when he urged people to “stop attacking pedophiles.” The comparisons came fast — and brutal.
“Freudian slip of the century,” the House Majority PAC posted on X. “Mike Johnson says ‘we’ve defended that evil ideology’ while talking about Nazis.”
Brett Meiselas, co-founder of MeidasTouch, joined the pile-on:
“The truth seems to be slipping out a lot these days.”
And it didn’t stop there.
User @SandieB wrote: “Nice Freudian slip, ‘we’ve defended that evil ideology… stood against human rights.’ We certainly know that’s not what he meant but the subconscious is a very interesting thing!”
Another user, @Antifa_Prime, chimed in: “Between this and Ted’s ‘stop attacking pedophiles’ flub, it’s been a bountiful few weeks for Freudian slips.”
Watch the clip and more reactions below.
Johnson: That is not the principles of the Republican Party. You want me to articulate them? We fought the Nazis, we've defended that evil ideology. pic.twitter.com/BV9jrcgqMl
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2025
