On Wednesday morning, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (LA-04), delivered remarks to the press on topics including Operation Epic Fury and the ongoing partial government shutdown. As is his habit, the Speaker didn't mince words.
Let's look at some highlights. First, on the operation itself, the Speaker points out that this is an exercise of muscular foreign policy; in other words, peace through strength.
.@SpeakerJohnson:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 4, 2026
"There is a misconception that operation Epic Fury is a diversion from Republican demands for PEACE!
It is the OPPOSITE.
Peace is not secured through appeasement ... It is through strength.
...that’s why America is the last great super power on the planet." pic.twitter.com/eiiAgoAETT
The Speaker said:
There is a misconception that Operation Epic Fury is in any way a diversion from Republican demands for peace. It's the opposite. Peace is not secured through appeasement. And it's certainly not secured by airdropping off billions of dollars in terrorist regimes, which is what previous Democrat administrations have done. Peace is secured through strength. That is the principle that our party has stood for my entire life. And on principle before that, articulated the idea of peace through strength. That's what this administration is demonstrating. And that is why America is the last great superpower on the planet. And all freedom-loving people around the world are grateful to God for that.
Aside from the very pointed (and well-deserved) shot at the Obama administration, this is a cogent summary of the intent behind destroying Iran's capacity to continue as the world's foremost state sponsor of Islamic terrorism. But the Speaker also made some statements that hit rather closer to home.
Read More: CENTCOM: U.S. Forces Strike Nearly 2,000 Targets As Operation Epic Fury Expands
SecWar Pete Hegseth Updates on 'Operation Epic Fury': Not 'Mission Accomplished' - a 'Reality Check'
On the ongoing partial government shutdown, which includes parts of the Department of Homeland Security, the Speaker said:
🚨@SpeakerJohnson: It's SHAMEFUL to shut down DHS, while Iran threatens our homeland.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 4, 2026
"If we are being wise, now is the time to be vigilant at home and to insure all of our doors are LOCKED.
...The Democrats have shut down the agency responsible for keeping Americans safe....… pic.twitter.com/OOhKFbfEDm
...when at home, we want to ensure all of our doors are locked, so to speak. Obviously, everyone understands that, it's a heightened threat environment. Global tensions are high. Threats are constantly evolving. America's adversaries are watching for any sign of weakness on our part. We cannot show them that. And yet, all this is happening, we have Democrats running around here playing political games in Congress. It's infuriating. They've shut down the very agency that is responsible for securing the homeland. The Democrats have shut down the agency that is responsible for keeping Americans safe. Unbelievably, they've already instructed their members to block funding, they sent out a whip notice, to tell House Democrats, to instruct them, to give them the order to vote down Homeland Security funding. That's a bipartisan consensus bill that had already been prepared by the House, it will be on the floor tomorrow for yet another vote, and you'd better watch that board, and everybody in America better watch that board. Anybody who votes to block funding for the homeland, it is shameful. I don't know how else to describe it. It speaks to a long record of Democrats deliberate efforts to undermine America's safety and the essential operations of DHS.
Key concept: As the Speaker points out, this isn't the time for this. There really isn't a time for these kinds of stupid games, but this really, really isn't the time, and the Speaker's next remarks paint a vivid picture as to why that's the case:
🚨BREAKING — Over 1,500 Iranian Nationals are hiding out in America ILLEGALLY.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 4, 2026
"The border was wide open. So we don't know how many dangerous people are here. How many Iranians who believed in that ideology of the Ayatollah." — @SpeakerJohnson pic.twitter.com/4oD3Cj32X8
The Speaker says:
(On the border) ...people coming across who evaded capture, and evaded notice, because the border was wide open. So we don't know. We don't know how many dangerous people are here. How many Iranians who believed in that ideology of the Ayatollah, who now is buried. Think about that. Over 1,500 Iranian nationals traveled multiple oceans to enter the U.S., not through the legal ports of entry, but unlawfully at our border. It's just a small sample of the mess we inherited from Democrats and their radical ideology, and the mess that President Trump and the Republicans are working in earnest to clean up, so we can save American lives and protect the homeland.
It is, of course, the primary purpose of any government to protect the liberty and property of its citizens. As the Speaker points out, we face a serious internal threat; thanks to the feckless non-enforcement of border and immigration law by the Biden administration, there may well be thousands of hostile actors in the United States right now. There may well be cells of committed regime operatives already here, and the only puzzling thing is that nobody in Tehran has hit the go-button on those cells yet. But then, what's left of the Iranian regime is pretty busy dodging American and Israeli explosives.
Need another reason to make sure you get to the polls to vote in the midterms this fall? Here's yet another reason, out of millions.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
Help us report the truth about the Trump administration’s decisive actions to keep Americans safe and bring peace to the world. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member