Speaker of the House Mike Johnson sidestepped questions about President Donald Trump’s directive to an assembly of 800 generals and admirals that they should use American cities as “training grounds for our military,” instead claiming there is an “invasion from within,” calling some Americans “enemy from within,” and saying the U.S. is at “war” — remarks interpreted by some as signaling a willingness to use the military against U.S. citizens.
“Is this the highest and best use of the U.S. military, and is this the right way to train them?” asked ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos.
“I don’t serve in the Pentagon,” Speaker Johnson replied. “I run the House of Representatives, and what we need to be talking about today is real harm that the American people are going to feel because of what Chuck Schumer is doing,” he said, referring to the Senate Democratic Leader.
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“Hold on a second,” Stephanopoulos replied. “No. Answer the question. As Speaker of the House, do you believe it’s appropriate to use American cities as training grounds for the U.S. military, calling those people in the American cities the ‘enemy within’? I’m asking you, as Speaker of the House, do you think that’s appropriate?”
Johnson refused to answer, saying, “I’m not gonna comment on your characterization of what the President said.”
“Those are quotes — they’re not a characterization,” the ABC News co-host explained.
“Well, you can take his quotes out of context, which you often do, and I don’t think that’s fair to the President,” Johnson replied, then attempted to change the conversation to Trump sending the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and saying, “FEMA services will not be provided, now that the government is now shut down.”
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Democracy Docket characterized Trump’s remarks as “alarming,” and noted that they “came as he is increasingly attempting to use the military as a domestic police force while claiming to designate Americans as domestic terrorists.”
Stephanopoulos also pressed the Speaker about President Trump’s second “deep fake” video targeting House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries — a clip many are condemning as racist.
“How does that help the cause of getting a deal and opening the government?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“Look, the President uses social media for humor,” Johnson replied. “He makes jokes, he does lots of things.”
Johnson said however, that Trump had shown “leadership” by meeting with the House and Senate Democratic leaders to discuss the impending shutdown on Tuesday, a meeting both sides deemed unproductive.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Trump said yesterday that he wants American cities to be used as ‘training grounds’ for the military. Is that the highest and best use of the military?
MIKE JOHNSON: I run the House. And what we need to be talking about today is real harm that the American people… pic.twitter.com/znJyHVROQr
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 1, 2025
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Image via Reuters