MaddowBlog-'I don't know anything about that': Mike Johnson becomes the low-information House speaker [View all]
Confronted with questions he should know how to answer, the House Republican leader has proven to be surprisingly ignorant about current events.
Raju: Last week, you were very critical of Biden, you said he didnât even know who was pardoning. On 60 minutes, Trump admitted not knowing he pardoned a crypto billionaire guilty of money laundering. Is that also concerning?
Johnson: I donât know anything about it.
— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2025-11-03T15:27:05.609Z
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/-dont-know-anything-mike-johnson-becomes-low-information-house-speaker-rcna241817
Its been nearly two weeks since Donald Trump signed one of the most scandalous pardons of his presidency, extending clemency to Changpeng Zhao, founder of the crypto exchange Binance, who helped finance the presidents stablecoin and put money in the Trump familys pockets. The president has since had multiple opportunities to explain why he took such a step, and hes failed in humiliating fashion.
What does House Speaker Mike Johnson think about this intensifying controversy, brought to the fore during a 60 Minutes interview that aired on Sunday nigh
t? I dont know anything about it, the Louisiana Republican said on Monday morning in response to a reporters question.
Raju: Last week, you were very critical of Biden, you said he didnât even know who was pardoning. On 60 minutes, Trump admitted not knowing he pardoned a crypto billionaire guilty of money laundering. Is that also concerning?
Johnson: I donât know anything about it.
— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2025-11-03T15:27:05.609Z
As MSNBCs Jen Psaki noted in a segment a couple of weeks ago, the
House GOP leader has claimed ignorance in recent weeks on everything from Trumps crypto dealings to the presidents reported relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, U.S. citizens being detained by federal immigration agents to a would-be assassin plotting to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
In politics,
theres a phrase for Americans who struggle to keep up with day-to-day news and current events and who tend to be ill informed about key issues. Theyre known as low-information voters.