Speaker Mike Johnson of Shreveport defended President Trump’s crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital and other cities with National Guard troops and said he doubts the authenticity of a lewd birthday note allegedly sent by Trump to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
‘We don’t have to live like this’
Johnson touted 1,700 arrests made by troops deployed to Washington, D.C.
“We don’t have to live like this, and President Trump is proving that every single day in our nation’s capital,” he said in a press conference. “The Trump Administration and local law enforcement know that always in every city, it’s relatively a select few individuals who are committing most of the crimes. And that’s been true in D.C. as well.”
Johnson blamed Democrats who lead cities for creating an atmosphere that coddles criminals, despite statistics that show many of the cities have seen a recent reduction in violent crimes.
“(Criminals are) enabled by these soft on crime policies that were discussed here, and even softer prosecutors and prosecutions,” he said. “Criminals have relentlessly abused the public and the public spaces.
“We just want to say this loud and clear, and we’re demonstrating it. This is not just talk. This is action. Republicans are in charge. And when Republicans are in charge, those days are over, the days of allowing soft on crime policies. We’re not going to do it.”
Trump has suggested he could send National Guard troops to New Orleans, and last week the Louisiana National Guard said it has already deployed nearly 100 troops to Louisiana cities to assist with policing who are under the command of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry.
Landry said he would welcome other states’ National Guard soldiers to New Orleans, Shreveport or other Louisiana cities.
“We will take President @realDonaldTrump’s help from New Orleans to Shreveport!” Landry said last week in a post on X.
Landry has already deployed 150 Louisiana National Guard troops to Washington at Trump’s request.
Did Trump write Epstein birthday note?
Johnson said he believes the president’s denial that he wrote a lewd birthday note and drawing to Epstein that was included in a “birthday book” that the justice department provided to Congress.
Johnson was asked by a CNN producer Tuesday if he thought the note was real.
“I don’t,” he said. “They say it’s not.”
The president has sued the Wall Street Journal for defamation after it first reported the note and drawing last month.
“It’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture and he did not sign it,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation.”
More: Will President Trump send federal troops to police New Orleans or Shreveport?
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Speaker Mike Johnson on Trump crime crackdown, lewd Epstein birthday note