Rachel Maddow: Mike Johnson ‘Praising’ Biden Plan Against Putin Nuclear Threat Gives Her ‘Tiniest of Teeny’ Shred of Hope | Video

February 19, 2024 @ 7:48 PM

Rachel Maddow responded Monday night to congressional Republicans, including speaker of the House Mike Johnson, “praising” the Biden administration’s policies against nuclear threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing herself the “tiniest of teeny” shred of hope.

“The U.S. government as a whole might be able to get it together to stand up to Putin on at least some things,” the MSNBC host said on “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

The segment began with the journalist playing clips of senior House Republicans Johnson and Ohio Rep. Mike Turner endorsing President Joe Biden’s stance against Russia reportedly trying to, in Maddow’s words, put “satellite-killer nuclear weapons in orbit around the Earth.”

“I want you to know that the White House gave us information today, they are going to remain in close contact with members of Congress on the issue, and it will be dealt with,” Johnson said, speaking to members of the press. “There’s steady hands at the wheel, the United States can’t rely on other nations to handle matters like this, we must do it ourselves, and we will.”

Rachel #Maddow “For this unbelievably partisan and dysfunctional Republican congress to have senior leaders praising the Biden administration on a national security issue related to Russia is perhaps the tiniest of teeny, teeny tiny silver linings of hope.” pic.twitter.com/f6yANDznlj

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 20, 2024

In a separate clip, Turner echoed Johnson, saying, “The bottom line is we all came away with a very strong impression that the administration is taking this very seriously and that the administration has a plan in place. We look forward to supporting them as they go to implement it.”

He concluded: “But in the interim, I’ve got great faith in what the administration is currently doing to try and address this matter and I appreciate the support and the working relationship on a bipartisan basis I have with my ranking members.”

The MSNBC segment then went to Maddow in the studio.

“You are not hallucinating. That was two senior Republicans, including the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, praising the Biden administration, saying how much they trust them and value them to deal with what was first reported last week as an emerging national security threat, of Russia trying to put satellite-killer nuclear weapons in orbit around the Earth, up in space.

“For this unbelievably partisan and dysfunctional Republican Congress to have senior leaders praising the Biden administration on a national security issue related to Russia is perhaps the tinniest of teeny-teeny-teeny tiny silver linings of hope that maybe the U.S. government as a whole might be able to get it together to stand up to Putin on at least some things. In the wake of not only two years of war in Ukraine but now the murder of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.”

Elsewhere on Monday’s episode, Maddow reported on Navalny’s death and further on Russia’s national security nuclear threats that came to light last week.

Watch the “Rachel Maddow Show” clip in the video embed above.