Shreveport Reporter

This morning, Speaker Johnson appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" to discuss various topics, including President Trump's upcoming inaugural address, TikTok's failure to divest from ByteDance, deportation plans for illegal aliens, and aid for California wildfires.

Discussing President Trump's inaugural address, Speaker Johnson said: "We're going to usher in a new golden age for America. He's excited. We're all excited everyone [is excited]. Walk around the city, there's this sense of anticipation because we know that something big is happening here." He compared the current moment to Reagan's era, stating: "It was morning in America under Reagan. Now we're going have a new golden age."

On the issue of TikTok failing to divest from ByteDance, Johnson highlighted concerns over Chinese Communist Party influence: "It's not the platform that members of Congress are concerned about; it's the Chinese Communist Party and their manipulation of the algorithms." He emphasized the need for a change in ownership: "There needs to be a sale of full divestiture from the Chinese Communist Party."

Addressing President Trump's deportation plans, Johnson argued for increased border security: "Kristen, I cannot think of a better dollar-for-dollar investment than to restore the security and safety of the country." He cited public support for deporting dangerous individuals: "87% of American people agree that we should deport dangerous illegal criminal aliens."

Regarding California wildfire aid, Johnson criticized local policy decisions: "We have a serious problem in California... when state and local officials make foolish policy decisions that make disaster exponentially worse." He pointed out budget cuts affecting forestry management and firefighting resources.