House Speaker Mike Johnson was quickly shut down on Sunday after he tried to repeat long-debunked claims about voter fraud in Georgia’s 2020 election during an interview on NBC News. Kristen Welker, the host of Meet the Press, did not hesitate to push back and remind him that those claims have already been investigated and disproven.
Johnson appeared on the show to respond to growing concerns that President Donald Trump could interfere in the 2026 midterm elections. Those fears have intensified following a recent FBI raid on a Georgia election office, an office that has been central to Trump’s repeated and false claims that the 2020 election was “rigged.”
Johnson brushed off those concerns, calling them “comical.” He pointed to Georgia as what he claimed was a clear example of election “schemes,” even though no such schemes have ever been proven. Welker immediately challenged him, pointing out that Georgia conducted two full statewide recounts after the 2020 election, both of which found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Despite this, Johnson continued to suggest that Georgia’s election had serious issues. He appeared careful with his wording, stopping short of directly accusing anyone of fraud, possibly to avoid legal consequences. He claimed that mail-in ballots were sent out broadly and said that “everyone knows” there were problems in Georgia, describing the election as controversial and still questionable today.
Johnson then tried to shift the conversation forward, saying he did not want to re-argue the 2020 election. Instead, he said Republicans were focused on making sure future elections do not raise doubts, arguing that changes at both the state and federal level were necessary to “clean things up.”
Welker pushed back once again, firmly stating that the questions about election integrity in 2020 had already been fully examined and answered. Johnson shook his head and dismissed her statement, telling her it was merely her opinion.
Welker immediately corrected him. She cut him off and made it clear that this was not a matter of opinion at all. She pointed out that Georgia’s own Republican governor, Brian Kemp, has repeatedly said that no one has ever come forward under oath with any evidence of voter fraud in the state, even years later.
The exchange highlighted the sharp divide between evidence-based reporting and continued attempts by some Republicans to cast doubt on an election that has already been thoroughly reviewed and upheld.
