There is no better "dollar-for-dollar investment" for the United States to restore its security and safety than President-elect Donald Trump's deportation plans, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

"We've had a wide-open border for four years and millions upon millions of illegal persons," the Louisiana Republican told NBC News' "Meet the Press." "We have dangerous illegals in the country, criminals who have already committed crimes here, violent crimes against American citizens. The best thing we can do is return those people from where they came." 

He added that the majority of Americans want dangerous immigrants to be deported.

"I saw a New York Times poll, I think it was just two days ago, 87% of the American people agree that we should deport dangerous, illegal criminal aliens and that's what we're going to do."

He acknowledged that it will cost money to follow through on Trump's promises to secure the border, but that will be a "small investment" when compared to the "staggering cost and the lack of resources in our local communities." 

Further, there has been an "untold humanitarian cost" in terms of deaths due to drug trafficking and fentanyl deaths, "the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-49 for the last few years," said Johnson. "Getting rid of that criminal element, that dangerous element, is something the American people want us to do."

Trump also campaigned on the promise of lowering prices, especially with groceries, and Johnson said that will happen.

"We will return to fiscal sanity and common sense," he said. "We'll make sure we don't have the largest tax increase in U.S. history when the Trump tax cuts would expire. Then we'll turn the economic engines back on. We know how to do this. We did it in the first Trump administration."

Before the COVID pandemic, Johnson added, "We had the greatest economy in the history of the world. Incomes were rising, labor participation rates were up, and everything was doing better."

Meanwhile, Johnson promised that with Trump's inaugural address, "we're going to usher in a new golden age for America."

"He's excited," he said. "We're all excited. Everyone [is excited]. Walk around the city, there's this sense of anticipation because we know that something big is happening here."

Comparisons to late President Ronald Reagan, whose inauguration was also moved inside because of cold weather, are apt, the speaker added. 

"It was morning in America under Reagan," said Johnson. "Now we're going have a new golden age. You're going hear that hopeful tone in President Trump's speech and a unifying speech. And I think that's really important for the country."

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