Wednesday morning, Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (LA-04), addressed the media regarding several issues, including Operation Epic Fury and the ongoing partial government shutdown. True to his style, the Speaker spoke candidly.
Here are some key takeaways. First, addressing the operation, the Speaker emphasized that it reflects a robust foreign policy approach; in other words, it’s about achieving peace through strength:
“There is a misconception that operation Epic Fury is a diversion from Republican demands for PEACE!
It is the OPPOSITE.
Peace is not secured through appeasement … It is through strength.
…that’s why America is the last great super power on the planet.” pic.twitter.com/eiiAgoAETT
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 4, 2026
He noted:
There is a misconception that Operation Epic Fury is in any way a diversion from Republican demands for peace. It’s the opposite. Peace is not secured through appeasement. And it’s certainly not secured by airdropping off billions of dollars in terrorist regimes, which is what previous Democrat administrations have done. Peace is secured through strength. That is the principle that our party has stood for my entire life. And on principle before that, articulated the idea of peace through strength. That’s what this administration is demonstrating. And that is why America is the last great superpower on the planet. And all freedom-loving people around the world are grateful to God for that.
Aside from the pointed (and certainly warranted) critique of the Obama administration, this is a clear and concise summary of the goal behind dismantling Iran’s ability to remain the leading state sponsor of Islamic terrorism. However, the Speaker also made some remarks that struck a bit closer to home.
Regarding the ongoing partial government shutdown, caused by Democrats again and which includes portions of the DHS, Johnson said:
?@SpeakerJohnson: It’s SHAMEFUL to shut down DHS, while Iran threatens our homeland.
“If we are being wise, now is the time to be vigilant at home and to insure all of our doors are LOCKED.
…The Democrats have shut down the agency responsible for keeping Americans safe….… pic.twitter.com/OOhKFbfEDm
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 4, 2026
…when at home, we want to ensure all of our doors are locked, so to speak. Obviously, everyone understands that, it’s a heightened threat environment. Global tensions are high. Threats are constantly evolving. America’s adversaries are watching for any sign of weakness on our part. We cannot show them that. And yet, all this is happening, we have Democrats running around here playing political games in Congress. It’s infuriating. They’ve shut down the very agency that is responsible for securing the homeland. The Democrats have shut down the agency that is responsible for keeping Americans safe.
Unbelievably, they’ve already instructed their members to block funding, they sent out a whip notice, to tell House Democrats, to instruct them, to give them the order to vote down Homeland Security funding. That’s a bipartisan consensus bill that had already been prepared by the House, it will be on the floor tomorrow for yet another vote, and you’d better watch that board, and everybody in America better watch that board. Anybody who votes to block funding for the homeland, it is shameful. I don’t know how else to describe it. It speaks to a long record of Democrats deliberate efforts to undermine America’s safety and the essential operations of DHS.
Key concept: As the Speaker emphasizes, now is not the appropriate time for these kinds of really stupid political games. In fact, there may never be a time for them, but it is especially inappropriate now. The Speaker’s subsequent comments vividly illustrate why this is the case:
?BREAKING — Over 1,500 Iranian Nationals are hiding out in America ILLEGALLY.
“The border was wide open. So we don’t know how many dangerous people are here. How many Iranians who believed in that ideology of the Ayatollah.” — @SpeakerJohnson pic.twitter.com/4oD3Cj32X8
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 4, 2026
He noted:
(On the border) …people coming across who evaded capture, and evaded notice, because the border was wide open. So we don’t know. We don’t know how many dangerous people are here. How many Iranians who believed in that ideology of the Ayatollah, who now is buried. Think about that. Over 1,500 Iranian nationals traveled multiple oceans to enter the U.S., not through the legal ports of entry, but unlawfully at our border. It’s just a small sample of the mess we inherited from Democrats and their radical ideology, and the mess that President Trump and the Republicans are working in earnest to clean up, so we can save American lives and protect the homeland.
The fundamental responsibility of any government, of course, is to safeguard the liberty and property of its citizens. As the Speaker has pointed out, we are currently facing a significant internal threat. Due to the ineffective enforcement of border and immigration laws by the Biden administration, it’s possible that there are thousands of hostile individuals currently within the United States. There could even be groups of dedicated operatives from the regime already on US soil. What remains puzzling is why no one in Tehran has activated these cells yet. However, it’s likely that the remnants of the Iranian regime are preoccupied with evading American and Israeli attacks.
If you actually needed another reason to go to the polls and vote red this fall, here it is.
