Washington- President of the House Mike Johnson hijacked Sunday over questions about possible violence and security concerns ahead of certification of presidential election results early next year, citing election integrity as a “bigger issue.”
“A lot of great work has been done at the federal, state and local levels to avoid the chaos that followed after 2020, the COVID election year,” Johnson said Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
When asked about provide security at the Capitol Before Congress counted the electoral votes on January 6, 2025, Johnson assured that steps had been taken to strengthen the facilities, while asserting that “the most important story” revolved around the integrity of the elections.
“We need to make it too big to rig,” Johnson said, adding that most states have done “a great job” to “strengthen their systems and ensure free and fair elections.”
Johnson, asked what he is doing to prevent the violence suffered on January 6, 2021said he didn’t expect to see “something like that.” He argued that there were “all sorts of concerns about fraud and irregularity” in the 2020 election, while adding that he hoped “it would be a free, fair and legal.”
CBS News
The speaker urged all governors to work to safeguard the electoral process, while saying it is also the duty of Congress to approve voter integrity measures and “try to encourage that to happen in every state.
A majority of voters trust their state’s election system, new report shows vote ” from CBS News, while only a quarter of voters think there will be widespread fraud in the 2024 election. But among supporters of former President Donald Trump, half say they expect widespread fraud. And half of Trump voters also want the former president to challenge the election results if Vice President Kamala Harris wins.
On Sunday, Johnson cast doubt on voting systems, arguing that non-citizens can vote even though it is against federal law. Johnson said “we need to make sure the law is followed,” arguing that in some states there is “no mechanism” to prevent voting. The House passed legislation earlier this year that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote federally.
Still, the speaker said he expects — and prays for — a “lawful, free and fair election in all areas.”
The comments come as Johnson, who played a main role in Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election, has made statements in recent weeks suggesting that certification of the election results was conditional. The speaker told reporters last month that the House would certify the election results if they were fair, saying, “if we have a free, fair and secure election, we are going to uphold the Constitution – absolutely.”
Johnson clarified on “Face the Nation” that “Congress will follow the Constitution.”
“I guarantee you, I’ve made a career out of it,” he said. “We are going to have a peaceful transition of power.”
The counting of electoral votes by Congress is traditionally a formality. But in 2021, protesters – some of whom resorted to violence – attempted to stop the process. Although the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol failed to stop the election from being certified, some Democrats have warned of a repeat of the violence after this year’s election.
Meanwhile, Trump refused to publicly acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election four years later. And his running mate, Senator JD Vance, refused to answer directly when asked during the vice presidential debate earlier this month whether Trump lost the election. Earlier this month, the speaker did not say whether Trump lost the 2020 election when asked repeatedly on ABC’s “This Week.”
