Democratic Representative Hank Johnson from Georgia faced criticism on social media after suggesting that reporters who claim there is a crisis at the southern border have not spoken to “the right people.” The situation at the border has escalated in recent weeks as a record number of illegal immigrants enter the United States. During an interview with FOX News correspondent Hillary Vaughn, Johnson’s response drew significant attention. Vaughn asked him if he was concerned about people breaking the rules and paying criminal organizations to jump the line. Johnson replied by questioning whether Vaughn had ever been to the border to witness the situation. When she stated that she had spent a considerable amount of time there, Johnson disputed the validity of her question, claiming she had not spoken to the right individuals for accurate information.
Conservative commentators shared the clip on social media, criticizing Johnson for appearing uninformed on the issue. Some even compared his latest statement to a previous incident at a 2010 House Armed Services Committee hearing where he expressed concern that the U.S. territory of Guam could “capsize” if too many people were on the island. This history of controversial statements led to further condemnation from commentators, who questioned Johnson’s judgment and intelligence.
Johnson has previously made other outrageous statements, such as comparing Jewish Israeli settlers to “termites” and suggesting that parents confronting school boards were launching a “coordinated attack” similar to the events of January 6th. The accumulation of such remarks suggests a pattern of controversial behavior from the congressman.