A left-wing media outlet published an inaccurate story Friday accusing newly minted House Speaker Mike Johnson of flying to Paris ahead of a potential government shutdown.
The New Republic produced a story Friday morning asserting Johnson dismissed the House in order to catch a flight to Paris to speak at a conference held by the Worldwide Freedom Initiative (WFI). A spokesperson for Johnson confirmed on X that The New Republic’s assertion was false and the outlet updated its story. (RELATED: Speaker Johnson Calls For NYC To Scrap ‘Sanctuary City’ Title Before It’s Considered For Federal Funding)
“This story is false. [Speaker Johnson] will not be going to any events in Paris or anywhere overseas this weekend,” Johnson spokesman Raj Shah said on X.
This story is false. @SpeakerJohnson will not be going to any events in Paris or anywhere overseas this weekend https://t.co/afc5xQpmXI
— Raj Shah (@RajShahDC) November 10, 2023
Likewise, a spokesperson for Johnson confirmed to the Daily Caller he is not attending the Worldwide Freedom Initiative conference.
“The Speaker is not attending WFI this weekend,” Johnson spokeswoman Corrine Day told the Caller.
The New Republic appeared to update its story as a result of Shah’s comments by adding an editor’s note to the bottom and adjusting its headline and opening paragraph. (RELATED: The Biggest Degenerates In Media Think It’s Weird The House Speaker Doesn’t Want His Son Watching Porn)
“Despite having little more than a week to avert a government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson seems to have sent representatives home early so he could catch a flight to Paris to attend a far-right conference,” the original lede reads, according to an archived version of the story.
The new version of the story features an altered headline with a question mark and adjustments to the lede.
“Despite having little more than a week to avert a government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson has sent representatives home early. He was also scheduled to deliver a keynote speech to a far-right conference in Paris on Friday,” the updated lede says.
The New Republic’s article leaves open the possibility Speaker Johnson attended the conference, despite confirmation he is not going to the event.
“This article has been updated to note The New Republic could not confirm Johnson’s appearance at the event,” the editor’s note at the bottom of the article clarifies.
The Daily Caller reached out to The New Republic about issuing a correction to its story. The outlet did not respond by the time of publication.
Johnson became House Speaker in late October after Republican California Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the speakership. A Republican from Louisiana, Johnson previously served as the House Republican Conference’s vice chairman and as a member of the Judiciary Committee.
House lawmakers passed a bill Nov. 2 featuring military aid to Israel for its ongoing conflict against Hamas and cuts to IRS spending designed to offset the costs. The White House has said President Joe Biden will veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
A report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicates the bill would add to the deficit by reducing the IRS’ ability to collect taxes from delinquents. Johnson was defiant in response to criticism from the bill’s opponents based on the CBO projection.
“We’re trying to change how Washington works and so by taking that money from this giant fund, over $67 billion that’s sitting there to build up the IRS, we weighed those priorities and said you know what, it’s more important to protect Israel right now,” he said Sunday on Fox News.
Johnson will also have to navigate the upcoming Nov. 17 deadline for the House to either pass all of its appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.
President Biden signed a bipartisan continuing resolution in September to temporarily avoid a government shutdown.