If a congressional leader says stupid things, it’s probably not because they’re stupid. It’s because for political reasons they have to defend something indefensible. - ThreadSky

ericcolumbus.bsky.social • 22 hours ago

If a congressional leader says stupid things, it’s probably not because they’re stupid.

It’s because for political reasons they have to defend something indefensible.

Reposted from Aaron Rupar

Mike Johnson on Elon Musk: "We meet late into the night in his office and we've looked at that. What he's finding with his algorithms crawling through the data of Social Security system is enormous amounts of fraud, waste, and abuse."

Comments

nsightful.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Any chance Musk's algorithms could crawl through the Republican swamp in Congress to look for massive amounts of fraud, lying and spinelessness?

uvotedforit.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Which makes them a coward?

gxb.bsky.social•22 hours ago

If he didn't say this then he is propping up a corrupt endeavor.

rebob72.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Where are the minutes of this meeting?

digitaldesert.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Or they think their constituents are stupid.

nanksu75.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Mike Johnson is reprehensible!

bossthenewf.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Nope. Stupid or zealots. Both dangerous.

12thdim.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Massive fraud and abuse?! Prove it! Conservatives and conservative billionaires think helping people is wasting money. They think just because they have money, people who don't are subhuman.

12thdim.bsky.social•22 hours ago

The American people do not want billionaire South African Musk in our personal records, business, or lives. We did not vote for him. Millions of us did not vote for Trump.

bk1165.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Why would NBC give a platform and this much airtime to allow this fascist piglet to continue to spead their propaganda. We know what he is, we know what they are doing. Dedicate airtime to what we the people can do and are doing to stop these bastards!
Pretty sure TAAS doesn’t pay as well.
Wake up!

shergottite.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Where is the follow up question? Seriously.

mbandman.bsky.social•22 hours ago

What makes it worse is that Johnson is such a self-righteous Christian who willingly lies and defends the indefensible soulless, unethical, and criminal leader of his party. In his mind, the end (Christian Nationalism) justifies the means. What sin would be off limits for him?

sophiiat.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Well then, SHOW US THE EVIDENCE

hugh2d2.bsky.social•22 hours ago

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair

jeffrethecat.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I hear what you're saying Eric. But Party over Country, Job over the safety and health of our Country, and Greed over Courage isn't the way to go either.

jeffrethecat.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I know I'm idealistic, but when Speaker Mike tries to defend things we all know are despicable - like all the Republicans are saddled with because they stood behind a Malignantly Narcissistic, morally repugnant Lunatic instead of being courageous and standing up for the country...

jeffrethecat.bsky.social•22 hours ago

they need to take stock of their positions and realize they are part of the Axis of Evil. At that point they need to grow a spine and do the right thing - quit lying to us by defending the indefensible.

tegusheike.bsky.social•19 hours ago

Only a very stupid person would defend something that is indefensible

suze309.bsky.social•22 hours ago

For a devout Christian he sure can lie.

5miriam9.bsky.social•21 hours ago

He's yet another CINO. He believes in power, not the Gospel of Jesus.

swalt06.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I feel bad for the good/honorable Christians. This scumbag is not a Christian at all, in name only. He is a lying, conniving scum!! He is NOT a god-fearing Christian.

sasarai38.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I'm finding it really hard to believe there are as many good Christians as everyone says there is. Almost every single one I've ever met is for Trump.

suze309.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Yes. It really amounts to a situation that is an oxymoron.

hkvoyage.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Why can't it be both?

icansawwood.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Nothing going on here

beagleantics.bsky.social•21 hours ago

His milquetoast appearance seems very sinister to me.

harlanbelle.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Mike Johnson is a LIAR

caitboyce.bsky.social•21 hours ago

In other words, it’s easier to give up your sense of dignity and humanity in order to keep your job.

Thanks, no.

ltenorone.bsky.social•6 hours ago

There goes Kristen pointing her pen at Republicans while letting them lie about everything and then inviting them back to spread more propaganda next week

tamchance.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Johnson is a KKKhristo-Fasicist Stooge.

And he is lying on behalf of Trump/Musk
two of the biggest liars on the planet

vtmoderate.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Or in this case, he’s stupid.

bored2tears.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Or -- hear me out on this -- maybe he's simultaneously stupid, corrupt, and a Goddamn liar?

mbierman.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I think that’s giving them way too much credit.

bluefrommagioh.bsky.social•20 hours ago

FWA is not your founding father's DEI.

fingalraven.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Trump special power, get people in so much excrement that they have to keep shovelling or they drown with him.

redmist27.bsky.social•21 hours ago

I’ve just gone thru the https://doge.com site and looked at every savings in the SSA, and besides some here and there licenses or surveys etc I see ZERO savings line item where (insert numbers here) people are receiving fraudulent SS. Am I missing something? Where is that?

redmist27.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Where are THOSE findings on the Doge website. Curious no one wants fraud, but where is that? I’m gonna have to look at the site ..

auld-boy.bsky.social•22 hours ago

He's telling you there next attack point, defend it

jvagle.me•22 hours ago

(they also could be at least a little bit stupid)

johndettling.bsky.social•22 hours ago

That is quite a repudiation of Occam's Razor there but you may be right.

rbsnst.bsky.social•21 hours ago

It could also be stupid…..because we know these lawmakers do not do their homework…..that is why they swallow lies so easily

stoshm.bsky.social•22 hours ago

how very generous of you

every1panic.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Tax payer funded! SHOW US THE DATA! IT'S OUR MONEY

merz.bsky.social•22 hours ago

If he wasn't stupid he'd lie more convicingly.

parttimeneet.bsky.social•20 hours ago

I gotta say mate, that's becoming a tall bar, shit to ridicules to just lay around it in a logically consistent way.

jerseyhair.bsky.social•20 hours ago

that is, by definition, stupid.

aaronmiller.bsky.social•22 hours ago

In his case, it’s both.

sheehanunchained.bsky.social•5 hours ago

I wanna see Johnson spell algorithm...

daisygrace.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I mean, it's written all over his face.

anbrittstengele.bsky.social•22 hours ago

If a congressional leader says stupid things, it’s because their staff told them to say it after they got today’s messaging points from the White House.

flishdog.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Does Johnson’s wife know he is meeting late at night with elon?

gubbbo.bsky.social•22 hours ago

There's always the distinct possibility that they are also stupid

blackirishscot.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Johnson is a Dick

isocket.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Saying 'algorithm' like it makes him a real smarty-pants.

rosalieheath.bsky.social•26 minutes ago

margaretgodman.bsky.social•22 hours ago

#speakerjohnson also had a moral responsibility to tell the truth. Unfortunately he works for two presidents who don’t live in truths.

apbamlb1987.bsky.social•19 hours ago

Fucking liar. The teeniest tiniest of johnsons.

davek16.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Untill proven otherwise All The Fraud, Waste and Abuse was maga 45's fault. Jesus ✨✝️✨ told me so it must be true.

/s

wietskebreet.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Fraud, waste and abuse. All of Maga use those words over and over again. Without any evidence..

mshannonm.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Elon found fraud,waste & abuse…he must have found Donald trumps file.

mauvemelinda.bsky.social•22 hours ago

"If a congressional leader says stupid things, it’s probably not because they’re stupid.

It’s because for political reasons they have to defend something indefensible."

Well stated, agree

fstuart.bsky.social•22 hours ago

And they think you are stupid enough to believe it

thunder1008.bsky.social•21 hours ago

We'll all pretend that Johnson understands the complex software and algorithms of federal agencies. 🙄

debscheetzam.bsky.social•21 hours ago

💯

dext3r4.bsky.social•16 hours ago

But that is literally not how machine learning algorithms work, and he would have been more believable keeping it vague. I’m taking his ignorance here at face value.

yendorcire.bsky.social•22 hours ago

The thing is, if they choose to look stupid we should treat them like they're stupid. I want to hear a reporter say "Are you lying or do you really not understand this issue? Because pretending to be stupid because you know you're wrong is worse than actually being stupid."

rockytech.bsky.social•22 hours ago

MTG and Boebert are the exception to this. They actually are stupid.

yafachaya.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Aren't we way past the time for not using the word "lies"? To me, calling this "stupid" minimizes the intentionality, the evil.

jacksprat39.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Fucking lying trump twat.

253mitchell.bsky.social•21 hours ago

This is America, why not do both?

todd-the-hoople.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Always amazed me that these so called “ Christian’s” can lie with impunity.

lainekate.bsky.social•22 hours ago

ANNND MIKEY...that's a flat out lie.

jessicakusiak.bsky.social•22 hours ago

This is a choice. It's been clear for almost a decade now that it's necessary to sound stupid in order to exist in this R political arena. So either these are stupid people who fit right in, or they're stupid enough to believe that there's no harm in dumbing themselves down. Either way, it's stupid.

dragonfish57.bsky.social•22 hours ago

So why didn't they investigate all this "fraud and abuse" during Trump's first term? 🤔

thalassocracy.bsky.social•22 hours ago

leephillips.bsky.social•20 hours ago

I think you meant:

If a congressional leader says stupid things, it's probably not because they're stupid.
It's because for political reasons they have to defend something indefensible
AND THEY THINK WE’RE STUPID.

sluglife.bsky.social•22 hours ago

This man also believes the ten plagues really happened LMFAO

drwilke.bsky.social•16 hours ago

Someday I pray someone will ask him as a follow up if he's familiar with the 9th Commandment.

gallopsix.bsky.social•21 hours ago

I've had enough of watching scenes
With schizophrenic, egocentric, paranoiac, prima-donnas
All I want is the truth, now
Just give me some truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaiGABTj0aA

gallopsix.bsky.social•21 hours ago

FRAUD, WASTE and ABUSE

fraud = trump
waste = vance
abuse = musk

walterthepanda.bsky.social•17 hours ago

Prove it? Guess that won’t happen anytime soon. Clowns.

nateynate17.bsky.social•22 hours ago

It’s Mike Johnson, it can be both.

eastslope.bsky.social•22 hours ago

It can be both; Johnson is not a bright man, and has weak political instincts. He is WYSIWYG.

kpapa75.bsky.social•21 hours ago

So much lying from such a Christian man.

mom2dabeach.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Johnson is a liar. Christians don’t lie. Johnson is no Christian.

pesasafi.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Isn't "defending something indefensible for political reasons" stupid?

starr20.bsky.social•19 hours ago

“Algorithms” is code for I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about.

thewhiner.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Why not both?

lynneerose.bsky.social•20 hours ago

Enormous amounts of “secret” waste fraud and abuse.

beloveddog.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Hey Mike, Is Elon the same master genius who claims DOGE “cancelling” a $144k government contract completed in 2005 counts as a $53.7M 2025 budget savings? I wouldn’t trust him to be a ticket taker for Tilt-a-Whirl at the summer carnival at the county fair grounds.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/02/us/politics/doge-musk-contracts-errors.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

gowestdixie.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Can the legal branch send officers to arrest these evil people who think they have the ability to run this country? They are destroying everything that millions of people have worked for.

brentrn.bsky.social•22 hours ago

The recent Inspector General report estimated that 0.84% of payments were probably fraudulent (mostly survivors not reporting deaths). 20% was recovered but it was determined it would cost more to get the rest than what was disbursed.

calrepublic4ever.bsky.social•19 hours ago

Defending the indefensible is itself stupid, is it not?

daphsci.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I don't believe any of it. Where is the evidence?

conneautchild.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Except that Mike Johnson is also stupid.

stanrmitchell.com•22 hours ago

Yes, this!!
📌

richardnew.bsky.social•22 hours ago

That sounds pretty stupid to me…

intellect1000.bsky.social•22 hours ago

ONLY STUPID PEOPLE DEFEND SOMETHING THAT IS INDEFENSIBLE..........DUUUHHHH!

kauaiarts.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Call Johnson’s office

irunwithscissors.bsky.social•22 hours ago

ironyhorse.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Could any news person, just once, ask a politician making these types of claims to prove it? There’s just zero serious pushback

soblue2024.bsky.social•21 hours ago

I do not want some unelected, unvetted, drug using American oligarch crawling through my data with his algorithms.

hcharlesm.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Could someone please ask this guy to define the word algorithm? He has no idea what an algorithm is or how it is supposed to work. It's the latest buzz word.

bambinamomma.bsky.social•21 hours ago

I am always wondering whether they are stupid or liars? I think the answer is that they are liars.

joeyotis.bsky.social•22 hours ago

I can’t listen to him; everything he says is a lie or some nonsense trump told him to say!

kwdawg.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Poor little Mikey .. he and Marco are in the same boat – sinking fast and no land in sight.

menckenfan.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Elon is the "massive fraud and abuse."

bellewords.bsky.social•22 hours ago

They don't have to defend the indefensible and lie. It's a choice they're making, each and every time.

pb48.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Wrong again mikey

broccolee.bsky.social•22 hours ago

lying white male Christian nationalist Nazi fuck

crazynetjunkie.bsky.social•18 hours ago

Musk’s algorithms can be programmed to report what he wants to see, not what’s really there.

tomhamill.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Amazing discovery! They have found lots of old people not working and still collecting social security checks! Shouldn't they be bagging groceries?

cornyavalance.bsky.social•21 hours ago

I call BS.

cornyavalance.bsky.social•21 hours ago

These are the exact fraud and abuse arguments that trump used to undergird his stolen election claims, which he is still repeating like a 80 year old Alzheimer’s patient. Not a shred of evidence has ever been produced. Now speaker Johnson is pulling the same stunt to support Musk’s illegal self-…

bluemoonshampoo.bsky.social•20 hours ago

I want to see proof of allthe fraud.

sambelman.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Not that it counts for anything but he doesn’t look too happy.

brooklynwatch.bsky.social•20 hours ago

He might be stupid also

srstaple.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Don’t for a second believe this religious zealot gives two shits about the American people.

He believes revelations is upon us and on judgement day he will be raptured to the kingdom of heaven cuz he lives such a holy life in the image of god

chumbason.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Why can’t it be both?

goodjuju1010.bsky.social•20 hours ago

I can't stomach listening to ms. No Push back

dieterjosef.bsky.social•22 hours ago

These political reasons, do they hold a weapon to his chest? Are they holding his wife and children hostage? No? Then why does he do this?

radiopirate99.bsky.social•19 hours ago

Algorithms don’t “crawl” through data. They manipulate data.

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply