Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) confronted criticism after he defended the carrying of masks by Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers throughout immigration raids.
Johnson was requested on Fox News to reply to issues from Democrats who say ICE brokers shouldn’t conceal their identities whereas conducting arrests as a part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
“From the individuals who mandated mask-wearing for years in America, it’s absurd,” Johnson fired again, referencing the face-covering measures that have been initially adopted with bipartisan help in the course of the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, although Democrats continued to encourage them for an extended interval.
“They should again off of ICE and respect our brokers and cease protesting in opposition to them,” he added, arguing that brokers could be doxed in the event that they have been in a position to be recognized.
Critics identified the irony of Johnson’s acceptance of brokers carrying masks, given his historical past of opposing masks mandates for medical causes, and urged he had conjured up an excessive instance of false equivalence.
Brokers ought to be capable to be held accountable, they argued.
Johnson was additionally criticized over the weekend for dismissing concerns about Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s speak of active-duty Marines being despatched to deal with protests in opposition to immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
“I don’t assume that’s heavy-handed,” Johnson stated.
