House Speaker Mike Johnson said he hopes President Joe Biden's warning that he will refuse to supply U.S. weapons to Israel for an assault on Rafah was a "senior moment," adding that he feels betrayed that the president appears to be violating the promises made to secure the passage of an almost $100 billion foreign aid package.
However, the Louisiana Republican, speaking with Politico after House members rejected a bid to oust him from his seat Wednesday night, said he had already been worried that the United States had been cutting off weapons to Israel before Biden's threat.
"My reaction honestly was: Wow, that is a complete turn from what I have been told even in, you know, recent hours," Johnson said. "I mean, 24 hours ago it was confirmed to me by top administration officials that the policy's very different than what he stated there. So I hope that's a senior moment."
He added that Biden administration officials have told him that reports that weapons have been cut off are inaccurate, and do not violate agreements with the president for the foreign aid package.
"I got commitments from top administration officials before we passed the supplemental package for the aid to Israel that that would not happen," said Johnson, adding that he was told "in writing and verbally" that there would be no delay.
He said he also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday about the matter.
"He described exactly what was happening before the news was confirmed," said Johnson. "I went straight to the White House, and I said, 'What gives? Somebody's going to have to explain this to me because it's very different than what I was told.'"
The speaker further said he had been told that any delayed munitions were from "earlier weapons tranches," not from the supplemental aid package.
The contrasting stories said Johnson believes Biden, who made his comments in a CNN appearance Wednesday, is "off script."
"I don't think that's something that staff told him to say," he said. "I hope it's a senior moment because that would be a great deviation in what is said to be the policy there."
Meanwhile, Johnson slammed the vote that had been brought to oust him, saying that it is "no time for frivolous palace intrigue and politics."
"We have got to have a functioning Congress," he said, citing national and worldwide issues. "The landslide vote tonight against removing the speaker is a signal that I think people on both sides of the aisle obviously understand this is not a time for games."
However, he said he spoke with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., who brought the motion and assured them that he does not "carry grudges" and is looking forward to working with them.
But, Johnson told Politico that he also does not plan to agree to demands from Greene and Massie to defund special counsel Jack Smith, the prosecutor with two cases against former President Donald Trump.