Johnson previously claimed in July documented evidence “proves” Biden family is “hopelessly corrupt.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) reportedly claimed Friday that “there is insufficient evidence” to launch impeachment proceedings against Joe Biden.
Johnson reportedly cited the lack of sufficient evidence “at present to begin formal impeachment proceedings” during a closed-door meeting with House GOP moderates, according to the Washington Post.
BREAKING: Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) claims, “There is insufficient evidence at the moment to initiate formal impeachment proceedings” against President Biden. pic.twitter.com/RzZEok8Ndx
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) November 10, 2023
Johnson’s newfound sentiment was reiterated by Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who claimed, “We’ll just go where the evidence goes and we’re not there yet.”
“Most of us are saying, look, we can’t even get a single Democratic vote on this right now. I think the voters will reject what they are seeing when it comes to Biden [policies] — but high crimes and misdemeanors? I don’t think we’ve seen that or enough data to really make a good case and I feel like [Johnson] really agreed with us on that,” Bacon added.
This represents a major about-face from Johnson’s posture in July, when he claimed that evidence “proves” the Biden family is “hopelessly corrupt.”
“The evidence now shows — it proves — that the First Family is hopelessly corrupt. They’ve been involved in extortion, bribery schemes and tax fraud and incredible abuses of power,” Johnson said.
The evidence now shows that the first family is hopelessly corrupt. The facts are truly ALARMING.
Our @HouseGOP committees will continue uncovering the truth and making this case to the American people. pic.twitter.com/URnnolg6ur
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 20, 2023
“We have now $17 million and counting of these amounts of money that have been uncovered that were put into these ghost companies that the Biden family put together, many of which when Joe Biden was vice president to hide the sources of this funding. And it involves China and Ukraine, adversaries around the world. It’s a very serious and alarming problem.”
Political commentator Tim Poole speculated that Johnson’s 180-degree pivot was part of a larger political calculus aimed at defeating Biden in the 2024 election.
“Maybe it’s just a 4D chess move. They know Biden is the weakest candidate here…I think they know what they’re doing here,” Poole said Friday.
Tim Pool and crew react to Speaker Mike Johnson claiming there’s “insufficient evidence” to launch impeachment proceedings against Biden:
“Maybe it’s just a 4D chess move. They know Biden is the weakest candidate here … I think they know what they’re doing here.” pic.twitter.com/tmt93ilRSh
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) November 11, 2023
Others like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) blamed Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for spearheading the removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker, who she claimed was committed to impeaching Biden.
“Not long ago we had a Speaker that believed in impeachment so much that he launched an inquiry without a floor vote, but you were told he was bad,” Greene wrote Saturday on X.
Not long ago we had a Speaker that believed in impeachment so much that he launched an inquiry without a floor vote, but you were told he was bad.
After 8 R’s and all D’s ousted him, we found checks to Joe Biden and evidence of a massive money laundering scheme and now the new… pic.twitter.com/87a5JnY6S0
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) November 11, 2023
“After 8 R’s and all D’s ousted him, we found checks to Joe Biden and evidence of a massive money laundering scheme and now the new guy you are told is way better doesn’t want to impeach. Such progress,” she added.
The latest evidence of Biden’s corruption was revealed earlier this month by House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who laid out how Joe Biden received a $40,000 check in “laundered China money” through his family.
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) November 1, 2023
Comer last week also issued subpoenas for Hunter, James and former Hunter associate Rob Walker, signaling the Oversight Committee is ready for Biden crime family members to give taped interviews regarding payments that passed through various channels in possible efforts to obfuscate the fact they came from foreign sources.