House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., retracted his earlier expressed willingness to participate in a televised debate with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on C-SPAN's "Ceasefire" program, now making the engagement conditional on the federal government being reopened.
Johnson had previously told C-SPAN that he "would love" to debate Jeffries, prompting the network to promote the potential face-off. But on Fox News's America Reports, Johnson clarified that the debate commitment was not firm.
"I'll debate Hakeem Jeffries anywhere, anytime, as soon as we get the government open," he said, adding that Jeffries was "engaging in political theater and stating absurd things."
Jeffries had issued a public challenge to Johnson just days earlier in an open letter, demanding a prime-time debate on the House floor "any day this week." He framed it as a way to force transparency amid the standoff over funding.
"Given the urgency of the moment and the Republican refusal to negotiate a bipartisan agreement, a debate on the House Floor will provide the American people with the transparency they deserve," he wrote.
Jeffries accused Johnson of adopting a "my way or the highway" attitude toward resolving the impasse.
Johnson originally dismissed the proposal as a "desperate plea for attention," accusing Jeffries of theatrical posturing.
He had asserted that the House had already "done its job" by passing a funding bill, and that the Senate was the body that now bore responsibility. Johnson also pointed to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer as the decision-maker holding the ball in his court.
But things shifted last Thursday, when C-SPAN extended an invitation to Johnson to appear on Politico host Dasha Burns' show for a moderated debate with a Democrat of his choosing.
Johnson selected Jeffries, prompting the network to schedule a showdown at a date yet to be determined.
Despite that, Johnson is now backtracking. He reiterated Wednesday his position that Democrats are blocking progress on reopening the government.
"We have to serve the American people. It's Hakeem and the Democrats who are making that not happen," he said, reinforcing his position that Democrats are to blame for the shutdown.
The rift comes amid growing frustration over the continuing shutdown, with Johnson having canceled successive weeks of House sessions, asserting Republicans would not return unless Democrats relent.
Meanwhile, Jeffries has accused Republican leadership of going "radio silent" and opting for distractions rather than serious negotiations.
The relationship between Johnson and Jeffries has been marked by strained civility.
Although Jeffries once pledged that their working relationship would abide by "no lies and no smack talk," the current standoff underscores how quickly that accord can fray under political pressure.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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