Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., confronted House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday, calling President Donald Trump “unhinged” and “unwell.” The exchange aired on MSNBC and was widely shared online, Newsweek reported.
Dean was referring to Trump’s address earlier in the day to senior military leaders at Quantico, Virginia.
During the exchange, Johnson replied, “A lot of folks on your side are, too,” and said he had not seen the speech, The Hill reported.
Dean referred to Trump’s Quantico remarks, including a suggestion that Democratic-led cities be used as military “training grounds” and a pledge to end what he called “politically correct” policies in the armed forces.
In the video, she called the appearance “dangerous” and said U.S. allies “are looking elsewhere” while “our enemies are laughing,” according to The Hill.
How has Trump’s speech been received?
Trump’s speech drew criticism from Democrats and some former officials. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the remarks offered “no strategy, no operational guidance and no plan to address real threats,” calling the event “an expensive, dangerous dereliction of leadership.”
Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” the address was “one of the most bizarre, unsettling events I’ve ever encountered.”
Dean and Johnson’s hallway exchange was one of two between the lawmakers. Dean also pressed Johnson on an AI-altered video Trump posted that depicted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries with a sombrero and mustache, calling it “racist.”
During the confrontation, Johnson told Dean, “I’m working on it. And personally, it’s not my style. I love you and I respect you, OK?”
Johnson later told CNN that the president posted it “as a joke” and that he “disagreed with her perspective on it.”
“I tried to bring her back to the real issue,” Johnson said. “The fight tonight is not about social media posts. The fight is about whether they’re going to keep the government open for the American people.”
How has the White House responded?
The White House rejected Dean’s criticism. Spokesperson Anna Kelly told Newsweek Dean’s remarks were a “bizarre, unhinged rant on camera from a Democrat who just voted to shut down the government and force military service members to go without pay.”
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