In an extensive interview with The Free Press, House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed a troubling January 2024 Oval Office exchange where President Biden appeared unaware of his administration’s recent pause on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Europe.
Johnson shared his growing concerns about who’s making crucial decisions in the White House, telling journalist Bari Weiss:
“He genuinely didn’t know what he had signed. I walked out of that meeting thinking, ‘Who’s running the country?'”
Speaker Johnson reveals that Biden had NO clue about a crucial executive order he signed.
Johnson asked Biden “why?” And Biden basically replied, “I didn’t do that…”
This is chilling. He’s either that demented or he WASN’T running the country.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 18, 2025
The Meeting
Johnson described how he had struggled for weeks to secure a meeting with Biden.
Johnson said:
“They wouldn’t let me meet with him and his staff kept giving excuses. This went on for like 8 or 9 weeks.”
When the meeting finally happened, Johnson found himself walking into what he called “an ambush” with multiple officials present, including “Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem… the CIA director, everybody.”
The Crucial Exchange
During a private moment in the Oval Office, Johnson confronted Biden about the LNG export pause.
Johnson recounted the exchange, saying:
“Mr. President, can I ask you a question? I cannot answer this from my constituents in Louisiana, sir, why did you pause LNG exports to Europe?”
The response startled him. According to Johnson, Biden replied:
“I didn’t do that.”
“He looks at me stunned,” Johnson continued, describing how he tried to remind the President of the executive order signed just weeks earlier.
When Biden continued to deny it, Johnson offered to have the order printed out:
“Respectfully, can I go out here and ask your secretary to print it out? We’ll read it together.”
The Stakes
The LNG export pause represents a significant shift in American energy policy, particularly affecting relationships with European allies seeking alternatives to Russian gas.
As Johnson pointed out in the meeting:
“You understand you’re fueling Vladimir Putin’s war machine because they gotta get their gas from him.”
White House Response
The Biden administration has not yet directly addressed Johnson’s specific claims about the Oval Office meeting and has not responded to a request for comment from The NY Post.
However, they have defended the LNG export pause as necessary to evaluate the environmental impact of these projects. The administration maintains that the President remains fully engaged in policy decisions affecting American energy exports.
The Bottom Line
For conservatives focused on energy independence and limited government, Johnson’s account raises troubling questions about executive decision-making.
The House Speaker’s suggestion that Biden was unaware of such a consequential order has sparked debate about transparency and accountability within the administration. Johnson’s revelation comes after reports have surfaced that White House aides hid Biden’s mental decline.
As Johnson concluded in the interview:
“I don’t know who put the paper in front of him, but he didn’t know.”
Johnson, who is the third in line for the presidency asked a question many Americans have wondered during Biden’s tenure: “Who is running the country?”
On Monday, Americans will have an answer as President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office for the second time.
The full discussion between Speaker Johnson and Bari Weiss will also air on Monday at 10 a.m. on X, as part of The Free Press in D.C. series presented by Uber and X.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
