On Sunday, ABC host George Stephanopoulos engaged in a heated discussion with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson over Eric Trump’s remarks regarding the recent assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump.
Since July 13, Trump has faced two assassination attempts, resulting in one shooter being killed on site and the other being arrested. During the interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Stephanopoulos pressed Johnson for his thoughts on Eric Trump’s comments, asking if it was appropriate to blame Democrats for the attempted assassinations.
Johnson, however, refused to condemn Eric Trump’s statements, stating that he did not have the full context of the clip and was not sure if they were specifically blaming Democrats for the attempts. He instead reaffirmed his previous calls for both sides to tone down their rhetoric.
The ABC host continued to press Johnson, asking if he supported Eric Trump’s characterization of the situation. Johnson maintained that he did not have enough information to answer, but emphasized the need for both parties to turn down the volume on their rhetoric.
Stephanopoulos’ insistence on obtaining a condemnation from Johnson prompted the ABC host to exclaim, “You just saw it, sir!” in reference to the clip that had just been shown.
But Johnson stood his ground and tried to shift the conversation to more pressing matters, such as voters’ top concerns over the economy and immigration. He reiterated the need for a civil and policy-focused debate, rather than one based on personalities and attacks.
After several attempts to get Johnson to condemn Eric Trump’s statements, Stephanopoulos finally moved on to a different topic, acknowledging that the House Speaker was not going to give in to his demands.
Trump recently returned to Butler, Pennsylvania for his first rally since the assassination attempt, where he addressed the issue and held a memorial for the fallen volunteer fire chief, Corey Comperatore. During the rally, Trump once again called for a more peaceful and respectful political discourse, reiterating that no one involved in the situation is a threat to the Republic.
It is clear from this exchange that Stephanopoulos was trying to corner Johnson and get him to denounce the Trump family’s outrage over the attempted assassinations. However, Johnson stood firm and refused to give in to Stephanopoulos’ aggressive line of questioning.
Johnson’s stance reflects the views of many Americans who are tired of the constant attacks and divisive rhetoric from both sides. They want to see a focus on policies and solutions, rather than personal attacks. As Trump himself has emphasized, it is time for the country to come together and have a civil debate about the future of the nation.