GOP Rep. Ken Buck says Speaker Johnson should denounce 2020 stolen election claims, Jan. 6 riot

Rep. Ken Buck, a Colorado Republican who is not seeking reelection next year, praised House Speaker Mike Johnson’s governing style but advocated he take a firmer stance against those who agree with former President Donald Trump that the 2020 election was stolen.

Mr. Buck said on the CBS Sunday show “Face the Nation” that anyone who describes the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as an “unguided tour of the Capitol” or those who call people charged with related crimes “political prisoners” are “lying to America.”

“As a Republican Party, if we’re going to offer good solid policy answers to the real challenges we face in America, we’ve got to get past the lies and we’ve got to have credibility with the American public,” he said.

“I hope [Mr. Johnson] becomes more clear. I hope all of my Republican colleagues become more clear and recognize the fact that Joe Biden is an existential threat to this country. We need to defeat him and we do that with someone who’s not lying to the country,” Mr. Buck said, without specifically naming Mr. Trump.

Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, was an architect of a legal theory seeking to overturn the results in certain key states, a move that Mr. Buck also supported.

Mr. Buck predicted Mr. Johnson will not face a rebellion from fellow conservatives like ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy did, despite having to rely on Democrats to keep the government funded and avoid a shutdown.

“I don’t think that most Republicans blame Speaker Johnson for the problems that he is now facing, the challenges he’s facing. Those were created during the McCarthy time period, and Speaker Johnson is doing a good job to work his way through those issues,” Mr. Buck said. 

“I think he’s going to [get] support, when he finds ways to reduce our national spending, our $36 trillion debt at the end of next year,” the Colorado Republican predicted.