Transcript:

Welker: Is it healthy for this country’s democracy for the sitting President to be questioning the 2020 election, five years ago, something— claims that have been deemed to be false, again, now that he lost?

Johnson: What’s healthy for our country and our democracy is for everyone to be laser focused on election integrity.

Welker: That’s not election integrity, Mr. Speaker! This was asked and answered and litigated and relitigated. The page has been turned. He’s still talking about an election that he lost, allegations which have been deemed claimed false.

Johnson: The President is keeping the focus on election integrity. It must be in the forefront of everyone’s minds, because if you don’t have a free and fair election, you cannot maintain a Constitutional Republic. He’s bothered by what happened in 2020, and we all know there was a lot of irregularity and problem in that, and we’re not going to relitigate it. That’s not the point. What we have to do is go forward and ensure that we don’t have these problems in the future. That’s why the House has passed the SAVE Act twice already. We have further election integrity measures that we’re working on now, and everybody in both parties should applaud that. They should support it.

Welker: You’re saying there were irregularities. State and federal election officials called 2020 the most secure election in history. But let me ask you about what’s happening in Georgia this week. FBI agents executed a warrant at an election hub in Fulton County, seizing ballots and records tied to the 2020 election. I want you to listen to what Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia had to say about this search. Take a look… What do you say to that allegation that President Trump is going to meddle in the 2026, midterm elections, that that’s what he’s doing in Georgia?

Johnson: I find it comical that one of the senators from Georgia is talking about schemes in elections. Remember, Georgia was example A of that in the 2020 election–

Welker: There were two statewide recounts in Georgia!

Johnson: They sent mail-out ballots to everyone. Everyone knows all of the problems that occurred in Georgia. It was very controversial, and remains so to this day, because of all the things that happened there. Again, we’re not going to relitigate that, but what we have to focus on is going forward to ensure that there are not questions about the elections. And that’s why Republicans are working at the at the federal and the state levels to clean those things up, to clean up voter rolls, to make sure illegals are not voting, for example. That’s what the Save act is about. And we have to continue that, and the President is keeping a proper focus on it. This investigation is to ensure that all the questions about the elections in Fulton County are investigated properly, so that people have confidence in the system again. That’s very important.

Welker: But there are really no questions about election integrity from 2020 that have not been asked and answered. Even the Republican—

Johnson: That’s your opinion.

Welker: Nope, nope! The Republican led governor has pointed out, it’s been years, and no one has ever come forward under oath with evidence of fraud in Georgia. But let me ask you, was it appropriate for the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard— she was on the ground there— she is prohibited by law from taking part in domestic law enforcement. Was it appropriate for her to be a part of the raid on the election center in Georgia?

Johnson: I don’t know. I do believe the DNI has some involvement in some, some, some role to play in ensuring election integrity, but I don’t know the details of that, and we have to reserve judgment. I will—

Welker: The National Security Act of 1947 bars US intelligence agencies from exercising law enforcement powers.

Johnson: But we don’t know that that’s what happened there. I don’t know that she was part of a law enforcement function there.