Politics Today: News, Analysis & Debate Across the Spectrum
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) just said the “quiet parts out loud” about the Schumer Shutdown, when neither could point to viable demands to reopen the government.
Speaking to members of the press on Thursday after the Democrats voted for the 10th time to keep the government closed, Johnson pointed to Wednesday night’s CNN socialist debate with Sanders and AOC’s non-responses when both were asked what it would take to vote to end Sen. Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) shutdown.
READ MORE: Crocodile Tears: Despite Schumer Shutdown, Top Dems Headed to Napa for Ritzy Retreat
MORE: Watch: Schumer’s Bizarre Rant About His Shutdown and Speaker Johnson’s Constituents on Senate Floor
SPEAKER JOHNSON: “CNN hosts the first socialist town hall, where Bernie Sanders and AOC said the quiet parts out loud. They don’t know what they want to end the shutdown.”
“They couldn’t provide a single viable solution for the mess that they themselves have gleefully created.”… pic.twitter.com/wYpjBYpoKK
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 16, 2025
CNN hosts the first socialist town hall, where Bernie Sanders and AOC said the quiet parts out loud,” Johnson said. They don’t know what they want to end the shutdown.”
“They couldn’t provide a single viable solution for the mess that they themselves have gleefully created,” he added. And by the way, those are the real leaders of the Democratic Party — AOC and Bernie. Good luck with that.”
As Johnson pointed out, the Schumer Shutdown is just one big piece of performance art from the party that appears to only really be interested in how their next stunt can go viral, rather than doing what is best for the American people.
In the clip from the CNN debate, Kaitlan Collins played a question from a Democrat in Mississippi who asked what AOC and Sanders were doing to end the stalemate and reopen the government, as her family was hurting amid the shutdown.
Sanders said they were going to do “everything cognizant” to end it, without saying what that was. Then said that if “Trump wins this fight,” the healthcare system will collapse.
As RedState readers know, this lie is based on how the Democrats are holding the government hostage because Republicans refuse to provide healthcare for illegal aliens.
The White House has pointed out what the shutdown is all about:
Democrats are demanding that these reforms be repealed as a condition of keeping the government open for four weeks. This would result in the federal government spending nearly $200 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants and non-citizens over the next decade—nearly enough to fund the entire Children’s Health Insurance Program over the same period—all while repealing reforms that strengthen care for the most vulnerable Americans.
AOC said she hopes the shutdown won’t last until Thanksgiving and is open to negotiation. When asked by Collins if anyone was doing just that, negotiating, Sanders said no.
The best part might have been when the CNN anchor confronted AOC about her past comments that shutting down the government was like taking it hostage.
Unsurprisingly, she no longer feels that way. “It’s not hostage taking, if they refuse to clock in,” AOC said.
ALSO: D.C. Tourists Being Hit by Schumer Shutdown As Mike Johnson Pulls No Punches on Dems’ Insane Demands
In an earlier interview, Johnson pointed out that Schumer, in his own words, admits it would be “morally wrong, outrageous and selfish” to shut down the government.
Chuck Schumer knows EXACTLY what he’s doing: he’s hurting the American people — and he knows it’s wrong.
He said it HIMSELF back in March when he voted FOR the CR in this exact scenario.
Now he’s completely reversed himself — DEMANDING $1.5 TRILLION in new spending,… pic.twitter.com/fIG9DToRQs
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) October 16, 2025
Now he’s completely reversed himself — DEMANDING $1.5 TRILLION in new spending, taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens, and cuts to rural hospitals. It’s a total sham.
Schumer made those comments in March when he voted to pass the clean (Continuing Resolution) in order to keep the government running.
Bottom line is that the Democrat party is being led by the radicals in their party, like AOC, and are fine with hurting Americans so they can score with the left.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
Help us continue to report the truth about the Schumer Shutdown. Use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership.
Read the full article from the original source
