House Democrats crash Mike Johnson's meeting with Bessent
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Rep. Judy Chu at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
A pair of House Democrats showed up uninvited to House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) office Wednesday to elbow into his meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Why it matters: It is part of a growing trend of Democrats engaging in resistance acts aimed at showing supporters they are going above and beyond to counter the Trump administration.
Driving the news: Reps. Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) both showed up at Johnson's office hoping to grill Bessent on DOGE staffers being granted access to sensitive Treasury information.
- The two Democrats were allowed to enter and meet with Johnson, but Chu told reporters that Bessent "wasn't in the room — we were talking to the speaker the whole time."
- Moore alleged that Bessent was sent out "through the back door just like the data."
- Johnson, according to Moore, said "he was trying to find out" what was happening at Treasury, adding, "I said that was very distressing to me, that even you don't know."
What we're hearing: A person who saw the interaction accused the Democrats of "incredibly rude, extremely aggressive and frankly unhinged behavior."
- "The Speaker was more than gracious and allowed the members into his personal office to hear their concerns," the person said.
- Graeme Crews, a spokesperson for Chu, said in a statement to Axios that she "never barged into anything. She politely joined the meeting already occurring and the Speaker invited her in for a brief, civil discussion.
- Crews, who accompanied Chu, added, "We just walked in, no staffer and no security stopped us.
Zoom out: The incident is the latest in a series of Democrats attempting to show their grassroots base that they are doing everything they can to push back against Trump and his billionaire lieutenant Elon Musk.
- Several groups of House and Senate Democrats have tried unsuccessfully this week to enter federal agency buildings targeted by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
- Democrats on the House Oversight Committee tried and failed Wednesday to subpoena Musk to testify to the panel.
- Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) went as far as to announce Wednesday that he will introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
