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

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.

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.

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.

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.