'Campaign rhetoric': Mike Johnson cornered over Trump's new smear of Kamala Harris

During an appearance on ABC's "This Week," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was put on the spot by host Martha Raddatz for attacks Donald Trump made on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Michigan Saturday night.

Following a week where Johnson praised the former president for his message of "unity" at the Republican National Convention, the former president tossed it all aside on Saturday night, labeling Biden as "sick, weak and pathetic" and adding "stupid" into the mix before calling Harris "crazy" and "nuts."

On Sunday morning the ABC host ran clips of the former president speaking and pressed Johnson, "Has he [Trump] missed an opportunity to promote unity?"

"No, he hasn't," the GOP leader responded. "Look, there is campaign rhetoric on both sides. There has been — it was less than a week and a half ago when President Biden said we ought to put Donald Trump in the crosshairs. Effectively, he said a bullseye. Now he has retracted that statement and Trump has said some things about unity that President Biden has said, but we are in the midst of a heated campaign."

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"But you yourself have said the discourse 'should not be personal or targetting people'" Raddatz shot back. "Have you just changed your mind? Is this the campaign you want?"

"No. No, I articulate things in a different way and Donald Trump as well," Johnson protested. "But his grievances as you said, there have been so many attacks."

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Speaker Johnson Joins ABC's This Week youtu.be