Mike Johnson Slammed After Downplaying Arrest Of Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Who Plotted To Kill Hakeen Jeffries

House Speaker Mike Johnson was criticized after he deflected to call out Democrats and downlayed the arrest of Christopher Moynihan, a January 6 rioter who was pardoned earlier this year by President Donald Trump, over his threat to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

New York State Police arrested the 34-year-old Moynihan after being alerted by the FBI that he had allegedly made threats to kill a member of Congress. According to court documents, Moynihan’s arrest followed a series of text messages in which he allegedly threatened the life of Jeffries, writing, “I will kill him for the future.”

One message cited in the criminal complaint read, “Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC I cannot allow this terrorist to live.” Another said, “Even if I am hated he must be eliminated.” Moynihan, who was remanded to the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center, faces a felony charge of making a terroristic threat and is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow.

Moynihan would not have been able to make his threat had Trump issued a mass pardon for January 6 rioters in January.

Rioters imprisoned for their involvement in the attack were released, and judges began dismissing dozens of pending cases following Trump’s inauguration, after which he moved ahead with a sweeping grant of clemency to all 1,500-plus individuals charged in the insurrection.

Trump’s executive order upended what had been the largest prosecution in Justice Department history, freeing individuals captured on camera brutally assaulting police officers as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of plotting violent efforts to halt the peaceful transfer of power after his election defeat.

But Johnson did not condemn Trump’s move to pardon Moynihan when asked by a reporter if Trump "had made a mistake" in doing so, instead pivoting to accuse Democrats of political violence:

“I don’t know any of the details of this at all. I don’t know who’s been alleged to have been involved in this. I will say that anybody — anybody — who threatens political violence against elected officials or anyone else should have the full weight and measure of the Department of Justice on their head.

“I trust that that will happen — I hope it will. We are intellectually consistent about that, obviously. I will tell you this: the violence on the left is far more prevalent than the violence on the right. ... This assassination culture that's being advanced now? This is the left in almost every case."

Johnson also pointed to Saturday's "No Kings" protests as an example of "violent rhetoric" from the left:

"This has to stop and the rhetoric you saw on Saturday plays into this. There are people who get triggered."

"There are deranged people in society and when they hear elected officials participating in a rally that was paid for by [George Soros] and sponsored by communists with signs and placards and mantras that were repeated, to bring death to fascist politicians—they're calling every Republican a fascist now—they're calling for the deaths of elected officials."

"Please, we've got to stop that. Stop the rhetoric, stop the nonsense, and stop all the violence."

Johnson, who insisted "we denounce violence at any time," then promptly left the podium.

Statistics are not on Johnson's side despite what he may say about political violence.

The Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism determined that 75% of extremists who killed people since 2013 were members of the far-right.

Additionally, a University of Maryland study confirmed that members of the far-right committed more acts of political violence since 1948 than any members of the far-left. The National Institute of Justice also confirmed that the far-right committed most acts of "violent terrorism" since 1990.

Many have called out his remarks.

In a statement of his own, Jeffries pointed out that Moynihan was pardoned on Trump's first day in office:

"Since the blanket pardon that occurred earlier this year, many of the criminals released have committed additional crimes throughout the country. Unfortunately, our brave men and women in law enforcement are being forced to spend their time keeping our communities safe from these violent individuals who should never have been pardoned."

Jeffries said he is "grateful to state and federal law enforcement for their swift and decisive action to apprehend a dangerous individual who made a credible death threat against me with every intention to carry it out.”

He affirmed that "threats of violence will not stop us from showing up, standing up and speaking up for the American people.”