Nancy Pelosi Rebukes Mike Johnson’s ‘Caveat’ to Certifying Election

Rep. Nancy Pelosi questioned House Speaker Mike Johnson’s comments on certifying the 2024 election results if Vice President Kamala Harris wins over former President Donald Trump.
Earlier Tuesday on Capitol Hill, Johnson (R-Louisiana) was asked by a reporter, “Do you commit to observing regular order in the certification process of the 2024 election, even if Kamala Harris beats Donald Trump?”
Johnson responded, “Well of course – if we have a free, fair, and safe election we’re gonna follow the Constitution, absolutely.”
In an appearance Tuesday afternoon with CNN’s Jake Tapper, the former House Speaker was asked to respond to Johnson’s remarks.
“Why should there be a caveat?” Pelosi replied. “Why don’t we just all agree whoever wins, we are for the peaceful transfer of power.”
The Democrat from California also called Johnson’s comments a part of a “conspiracy.”
“We don’t agonize,” Pelosi said. “We organize, and we organize to make sure that Hakeem Jefferies has that gavel in his hand on Jan. 6.”
When reached via email by Newsweek Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Johnson’s office said Pelosi damaged “faith in our electoral system” when she posted on X, formerly Twitter, in May of 2017 that “Our election was hijacked. There is no question. Congress has a duty to #ProtectOurDemocracy & #FollowTheFacts.”
Pelosi’s remarks were in response to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election loss to Trump.
“When it comes to opinions about elections, few have been more damaging to faith in our electoral system than Speaker Pelosi’s since a deleted 2017 tweet declaring ‘there is no question’ that the 2016 election was ‘hijacked’ by Russia. We urge Democrats to refrain from similarly shameful behavior this time around,” the spokesperson for Johnson told Newsweek.
Newsweek has emailed Johnson’s office for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Johnson has openly pushed former President Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories about the veracity of the upcoming election.
Trump has sown doubts about the 2024 presidential election, warning about election interference starting nearly 18 months before votes are counted.
Last summer, Trump said, “They rigged the presidential election of 2020, and we’re not going to allow them to rig the presidential election of 2024.” He has consistently used the campaign slogan, “too big to rig” at his rallies.
Earlier this month, in a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that the upcoming election would be heavily scrutinized to avoid cheating.
“CEASE & DESIST: I, together with many Attorneys and Legal Scholars, am watching the Sanctity of the 2024 Presidential Election very closely because I know, better than most, the rampant Cheating and Skullduggery that has taken place by the Democrats in the 2020 Presidential Election,” he wrote.
Trump and his allies brought 62 lawsuits challenging the results of the 2020 election, 61 of which were thrown out of court.
The former president’s false claim that the election was stolen from him in 2020 led to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump is facing four felony counts in a federal election subversion case related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
“Our democracy is very important,” Pelosi said. “We are working as we work to elect the democratic vice president and president to elect a democratic congress to make sure we can’t have this personal opinion when it’s an absolute fact of numbers.”
Author Mary Trump, the niece of the Republican nominee, said her uncle has said preparations for his “coup [are] already underway.”
Her claims echo the fears of many prominent politicians, military leaders and members of the public who also fear a repeat of Jan. 6.
Update: 9/24/2024, 5:33 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.