Mike Johnson channels Captain America as he rips ‘Shutdown Schumer’ and ‘Marxist’ Dems

House Speaker Mike Johnson attacked Chuck Schumer for prolonging the shutdown to appease New York’s socialist-leaning mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani
Mike Johnson invoked Captain America’s iconic line while slamming Chuck Schumer over the government shutdown (Getty Images)
Mike Johnson invoked Captain America’s iconic line while slamming Chuck Schumer over the government shutdown (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: House Speaker Mike Johnson came out swinging on Thursday, October 3, accusing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of fueling the government shutdown to protect New York City’s socialist-leaning mayoral frontrunner, Zohran Mamdani.

Channeling his inner Marvel superhero, the Louisiana Republican quipped, “I could do this all day,” echoing Captain America’s famous line as he launched into a fiery takedown of Democratic leadership.

Johnson, joined by several members of GOP leadership, addressed reporters on Capitol Hill as the shutdown crisis entered its second week. The Speaker claimed the stalemate was a deliberate political move designed to shield Schumer from growing pressure within his party’s far-left wing.


 

Mike Johnson blames Chuck Schumer for political appeasement to the far left

“There is one sad and inescapable fact that no one can forget here: this shutdown is nothing more than political cover for Chuck Schumer and the Democrats,” Johnson said.

“The Marxists are about to elect a mayor in New York City. That’s Chuck Schumer’s state. He’s terrified he’s going to get a challenge from his far left.”

Johnson’s comments referenced Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist nominee currently leading the New York City mayoral race. Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens, has drawn national attention for his vocal criticism of the Israeli government after the October 7 attacks, a stance that has divided Democrats.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 18: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a news conference on reproductive rights at the U.S. Capitol Building on June 18, 2024 in Washington, DC. Senate Democrats held the news conference to mark two years since the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Chuck Schumer spoke at a Capitol news conference on reproductive rights in Washington, DC in June 2024 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

GOP leaders label Chuck Schumer ‘Shutdown Schumer’ amid stalled spending talks

Johnson’s “Captain America” jab was the latest in a series of GOP attacks on Schumer, whom both Johnson and former President Donald Trump have mockingly dubbed “Shutdown Schumer.”

Republicans argued that Democrats deliberately blocked a short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, to gain leverage on unrelated policy priorities.

“So they picked a fight on something that’s not even related to the shutdown,” Johnson said. “We just need a stopgap measure to give us a little more time to get the job of Congress done.”

Democrats, however, have held firm, demanding that any deal include extensions of Covid-era health insurance tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Without those extensions, many state-run exchanges have warned that premiums could double.

 U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference after a House Republican Caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on September 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. House Republicans are working towards agreeing to pass a continuing resolution on the House floor to fund the government through December 20th. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Mike Johnson addressed reporters after a House GOP meeting at the US Capitol in September 2024 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Republican infighting grows as shutdown fallout deepens

Some Republicans have criticized their own party’s handling of the impasse.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was “absolutely disgusted” that leadership hadn’t planned for the looming health premium hikes.

Federal workers have also expressed concern over lost pay during the shutdown. Johnson reassured reporters that furloughed employees would still receive back pay under legislation signed in 2019 by Donald Trump.

“They should not be subjected to harm and financial dire straits because Chuck Schumer wants to play political games,” Johnson added.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks before Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on October 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. With early voting starting today in Georgia both Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris are campaigning in the Atlanta region this week as polls show a tight race. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke before Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia in October 2024 (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Mike Johnson’s ‘Captain America’ moment goes viral online

Johnson’s “I could do this all day” quip quickly went viral, with supporters hailing it as a “patriotic mic drop.”

The House Speaker has leaned heavily into pop-culture references in recent weeks, framing his fight against Schumer as a battle between “common-sense conservatives” and “radical Marxists” taking over the Democratic Party.

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