House Speaker Mike Johnson: Biden "is not fit to serve as President"
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Louisiana Rep. and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson at the Republican National Convention on July 17. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Reacting to news that President Biden stepped out of the 2024 presidential race, House Speaker Mike Johnson said on X the president "must resign immediately."
The big picture: Johnson's statement was part of a broader Republican argument that scrolled across social media Sunday that if Biden is unfit to run for president, he's unfit to hold the position now.
What they're saying: Johnson, who represents Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, also took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, who Biden endorsed Sunday.
- "As second in command and a completely inept border czar, Harris has been a gleeful accomplice — not only in the destruction of American sovereignty, security, and prosperity, but also in the largest political coverup in U.S. history," Johnson wrote. "She has known for as long as anyone of his incapacity to serve."
Zoom in: Johnson was one of several Louisiana politicians reacting to the shocking news Sunday.
- Here are more of their statements.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise: "It is not just Biden-Harris who have been polling so poorly, it is their entire administration's failed, extreme agenda that is crushing hardworking families, causing record inflation, the worst border crisis in our lifetime, and chaos around the world."
Gov. Jeff Landry: "It matters not whether President Biden seeks reelection," Landry wrote on X. "President Trump is running to correct the failed policies of the Left—championed by every replacement nominee."
- "The decay of the middle class, the rise in inflation, the crime, the violence, the open border…and so much more. Each of these policies have failed our nation and are owned by any replacement Democrat nominee."
Sen. Bill Cassidy: "I've pointed out for two years that President Biden's mental capacity has been declining," Cassidy wrote on X. "In that time, he's thrown the country, the economy, and the Democratic party into total disarray. This decision is overdue."
Rep. Troy Carter: Biden's "leadership has brought about meaningful change and progress. Notably, President Biden made history with the nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first African American woman to [the Supreme Court,] further cementing his legacy as a champion of equality and justice," Carter wrote in a thread on X.
- "His decision to pass the torch to Kamala Harris is an amazingly selfless act that resonates deeply with the American people."
New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno: "President Biden fought hard and delivered," she wrote on X. "Now he has passed the torch on to [Harris,] who is the obvious choice to unite the party as our nominee and win the presidency."
New Orleans City Councilman JP Morrell: "Under [Biden's] administration, Louisiana has seen a drastic increase in federal $$$ for infrastructure and it has been truly transformational," Morrell wrote on X.
- "Now, we must come together as Democrats behind whoever our new nominee may be so that we can defeat Donald Trump and his threat to democracy."
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and has been updated.