Mike Johnson Corrected Over Government Shutdown Claims Live on Air [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Oct 01, 2025 at 04:00 AM EDT
updated Oct 01, 2025 at 05:38 AM EDT


House Speaker Mike Johnson was corrected live on air over claims Democrats tried to give those in the U.S. illegal access to health care as part of their negotiations to avoid a government shutdown.

The U.S. government shut down after the Senate adjourned Tuesday evening without passing a funding resolution, with both parties failing to agree on each others funding proposals needed to keep all federal operations running. Speaking hours before the shutdown went into effect, Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, clashed with CNN's Kaitlan Collins about the Democrats' funding proposal.

"The point about giving people who are here illegally is not exactly what is in their [Democrats'] proposal," Collins said. "It's immigrants who have legal status." Johnson replied: "No, Kaitlin you're wrong." Collins responded that she had read the proposal. Newsweek contacted Johnson by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.

Why It Matters

The interview highlights concerns about misinformation in U.S. politics. It also highlights the complexity of the policies put forth and the potential for them to be misunderstood or misrepresented, though there is no suggestion that this was Johnson's intention.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/mike-johnson-corrected-over-government-shutdown-claims-live-on-air-10808795