Mike Johnson Gives Impassioned Ukraine Speech as He Defies MAGA

Speaker Mike Johnson said he will “take personal risk” by pushing ahead with his plans for a House vote on foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as fellow Republican representatives continue to call for him to vacate the chair.

Asked why he was willing to lose his job by moving forward with his foreign aid plan by reporters in the Capitol Wednesday evening, Johnson responded: “My philosophy is you do the right thing and you let the chips fall where they may. If I operated out of fear of a motion to vacate, I would never be able to do my job.

“History judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now – a critical time on the world stage.

“I could make a selfish decision and do something that’s different but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing legal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important – I really do believe the intel and the briefings that we’ve gotten.

“I believe Xi [Jinping] and Vladimir Putin and Iran really are and axis of evil. I think they are in coordination on this.

“I think that Vladimir Putin would continue marching through Europe if he were allowed. I think he might go to the Balkans next. I think he might have a showdown with Poland or one of our Nato allies.

“To put it bluntly I would rather send bullets to Ukraine that American boys. My son is going to begin in the Naval academy this fall. This is a live fire exercise for me as it is for so many American families.

“We can’t play politics with this. We have to do the right thing. And I’m going to allow an opportunity for every single member of the House to vote their conscience and their will on this. And think that’s the way this institution is supposed to work and I’m willing to take personal risk for that because we have to do the right think and history will judge us.”