Ask many Republicans about ABC This Week co-host Martha Raddatz, and they recall her sounding choked up on election night 2016 when it became clear Donald Trump was going to be Hillary Clinton. She was sitting next to George Stephanopoulos, and she often seems just as partisan as he is.
That was the case on Sunday, when it came time to cast aspersions on Republican Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House.
Raddatz turned to two Rachels for analysis — ABC contributor Rachael “Merry Impeachmas” Bade of Politico, and ABC reporter Rachel Scott. Raddatz had to replay a clip of Scott badgering Johnson about election denial as Republicans had just nominated him for Speaker:
ABC News so proud of @rachelvscott’s question to new Speaker Mike Johnson about the 2020 election that #ThisWeek re-played it. pic.twitter.com/8u4yJI3ejj
— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) October 29, 2023
RADDATZ: He could be a tough guy to cover. But does he stand by that vote? The first question you asked?
SCOTT: Yes, he does. And you I tried asking him repeatedly this week again, whether or not you know, he will acknowledge the fact that Donald Trump lost the election. And he didn’t answer my question then either. So, it doesn’t seem to be an issue that he really wants to talk about at this point.
Is this really in doubt? One week after the January 6 riot, Johnson issued a statement declaring “Joe Biden is the president-elect.”
Raddatz and Scott didn’t have anyone on the set to suggest why Scott’s question was booed. It’s booed because the Democrats have a pile of election deniers in their leadership, starting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. For that viewpoint, you would have to turn to Fox News Sunday and Mollie Hemingway. Host Shannon Bream read from a New York Times column by Jamelle Bouie titled “Mike Johnson Is a Right-Wing Fever Dream Come to Life,” and Hemingway brought the rebuttal, to Bouie and to the ABC team:
“What a balanced perspective from the New York Times there!” – deserved sarcasm from @MZHemingway re @NYTimes columnist calling new Speaker Mike Johnson an “extremist” and “right wing fever dream.” #FNS pic.twitter.com/3qjGKMwOYB
— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) October 29, 2023
Raddatz was also amused at how Obama communications director Dan Pfeiffer implied Mike Johnson was such an extremist he was a gift to Democrats.
ABC’s @MarthaRaddatz highlights how “@DanPfeiffer said: ‘Democrats should thank Republicans for choosing a guy with Paul Ryan’s economic policies, Mike Pence’s position on abortion and marriage, and Donald Trump’s views on the 2020 election.” #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/hA3OAa6PPM
— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) October 29, 2023
Then Raddatz turned to Republican Sarah Isgur for rebuttal, but insisted it had to be “quickly.’ Isgur didn’t push back on Pfeiffer at all, she just trashed the Republicans as putting on “reality TV.” That makes her an ideal GOP panelist for ABC.
ISGUR: This is why Republicans seem to act like they want to be in the minority, because if Congress isn’t actually moving legislation, no one thinks comprehensive immigration reform is happening in the near future. Then it’s not really about legislating, it’s about having the reality TV of the House of Representatives. If everything’s getting done in the Executive Branch, that’s going to the courts, where is Congress? I don’t think that’s going to change regardless of who the Speaker is.