President Biden on Monday declared House Speaker Mike Johnson “dead on arrival” when asked how he planned to get his new rules for the Supreme Court through a Republican-run Congress.
Shortly after arriving in Austin, Texas, where Mr. Biden is scheduled to speak about his plan to overhaul the court, he took a few questions when the odd exchange took place.
Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said on social media Mr. Biden’s proposed reforms would be “dead on arrival” in the House.
When asked about the speaker’s comments, Mr. Biden responded, “That’s what he is.”
The confused reporter, seeking clarification, said, “He is?”
“He is dead on arrival,” Mr. Biden responded.
It is unclear what the 81-year-old president meant by the comment. A spokesman for Mr. Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Later, Mr. Biden attempted to clarify his remarks saying Mr. Johnson’s “thinking” is “dead on arrival.”
In response to Mr. Biden’s comment, Mr. Johnson posted a clip on social media of last month’s presidential debate in which former President Trump reacted to a confusing claim by Mr. Biden: “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.”
When asked how he would get his proposals through Congress, Mr. Biden said he’d find “a way.”
Mr. Biden announced earlier Monday that he would press Congress for major changes to the Supreme Court, including imposing term limits and creating an enforceable code of ethics on the justices.
He dropped out of his reelection run on July 21 amid widespread concerns about his mental acuity and Democratic leaders’ fears he was unelectable. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement and she quickly consolidated support as the party’s presumptive nominee.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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