House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has floated the possibility of defunding the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which is currently conducting investigations into former President Trump. Johnson made the suggestion during a press conference on Wednesday, citing concerns that the Special Counsel has been abused in recent years. He proposed exploring various avenues, including defunding the entire office, to ensure that the Special Counsel does not overstep its authority.
Johnson’s comments come after he attended Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan on Tuesday, where he pledged to work with other Republican lawmakers to rein in the ongoing Special Counsel investigations. He described these investigations, including the probe into Trump’s handling of classified documents, as political operations.
While Johnson has previously criticized the Special Counsel’s investigations, his latest remarks represent a shift in his stance on defunding the office. In a recent Politico interview, he expressed reservations about eliminating the Special Counsel provision altogether, acknowledging the necessity for such a function to handle potential conflicts of interest within the Department of Justice.
Johnson’s office has directed inquiries to his press conference comments and a recent social media post where he pledged to rein in Special Counsel Jack Smith. The Justice Department has not yet provided a response to a request for comment. Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for further clarification on Johnson’s statements.
