Republican House Speaker refuses to say Trump lost 2020

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wouldn't play the "gotcha" game of commenting on the 2020 vote. (AP PHOTO)

Republican US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson sidestepped a question on Sunday on whether he accepted that Donald Trump lost to Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, giving a response similar to that from the former president's running mate in the vice-presidential debate.

Trump, who lost to Biden in 2020 and falsely claimed the elections were unfair, is once again the Republican Party's presidential candidate and faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 elections. Polls show a tight race.

"You want us to litigate things that happened four years ago when we are talking about the future," Johnson said in a confrontational interview on ABC News on Sunday.

"We are not going to talk about what happened in 2020, we are going to talk about 2024," Johnson said.

"Joe Biden has been the president for almost four years. Everybody needs to get over this and move forward."

When pressed further, he said: "This is a gotcha game that's played, and I'm not playing it."

In Tuesday's vice-presidential debate, Senator JD Vance, Trump's running mate, also sidestepped the question.

Johnson also refused to condemn the former president's suggestion that the Republican presidential candidate's political opponents may be behind attempts to have him killed.

Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. He also escaped an assassination attempt in September that was thwarted by a US Secret Service agent patrolling Trump's Florida golf course. Investigators have found no evidence of the involvement of Trump's political opponents in the ongoing probes.

Johnson was also asked if he would help in certifying the 2024 election results if Trump lost.

"I'm going to follow the Constitution. ... Congress has a very specific role and we must fulfill it," he said.

Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the congressional certification of the results of the 2020 elections.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store