House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed there was a "clear distinction" between the ongoing Los Angeles protests against ICE raids and the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021.
CNN reporter Manu Raju questioned Johnson on Tuesday, asking if it's hypocritical to condemn violent protestors in LA, given President Donald Trump's pardoning of violent protestors in the Capitol insurrection.
Asked Speaker Johnson about condemning violent LA protestors and Trump pardoning violent Jan. 6 protestors.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 10, 2025
"I think there's a clear distinction between those two," he said pic.twitter.com/3odchelgh3
"No," Johnson replied with an eye roll. "I think there's a clear distinction between those two." He referenced fires started during LA riots in 1992 as evidence in support of Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard and marines to quell the current LA demonstrations.
Raju followed up, pressing Johnson to specify, "What is the difference?"
"Everyone wants me to re-litigate January 6th. I'm not going to do that," Johnson said. "There's a very clear distinction between the two."
"The people who broke the law and destroyed property met with the proper consequences," Johnson added, vaguely. "We're trying to be intellectually consistent about this."
The exchange came as federal forces, including Marines, have been deployed to Los Angeles following days of protests over mass immigration arrests and deportations. Johnson defended the president's decision to deploy military forces to quell unrest, saying, "If Marines are necessary, we have to do what is necessary... I applaud the president for doing it."
Members of the Trump administration have vocally condemned protests in LA, describing demonstrations as "an invasion," and participants as "insurrectionists." The rhetoric and swift military deployment — despite California Governor Gavin Newsom's insistence that the move is unnecessary and inflammatory — has drawn contrasts to Trump's continued defense of January 6 rioters.
On the day of his second inauguration, Trump issued roughly 1,500 pardons to participants in the Capitol riots, whom he called patriots. The Capitol riot left hundreds injured — including 174 police officers — and took five lives, including one officer.
So far, no deaths have been linked to the current protests in LA, which has been confined to roughly five blocks downtown.
The last time the National Guard was sent to LA was in 1992, when the acquittal of white police officers filmed beating Rodney King to death sparked a violent uprising. On the third day of rioting, amid widespread looting and arson, thousands of injuries, and dozens of deaths, the mayor and governor requested President George H.W. Bush deploy the National Guard.
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