Speaker Mike Johnson faced a wave of criticism on Tuesday after announcing plans to help nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Speaker of the Israeli Knesset Amir Ohana. During a press conference, Johnson said he would work with Ohana to “rally support from Speakers and Presidents around the world” in backing Trump’s nomination.
The announcement coincided with news that the administration had struck another suspected drug boat off the coast of Venezuela—the sixth such operation since Trump took office. “No one has ever deserved it more, and that is an objective fact,” Johnson declared, drawing immediate reaction across social media.
Critics accused the Louisiana Republican of focusing on politics over governing, especially as Congress remains gridlocked on key spending measures. Podcaster Allison Gill, host of “Mueller, She Wrote,” wrote on Bluesky, “Instead of working to get the government open and pay our troops and air traffic controllers and helping his constituents keep their health plans, Mike Johnson has been tasked with helping Trump get the Nobel next year.”
The criticism grew louder on X, formerly known as Twitter. Writer Kenneth Monusama posted, “That is just embarrassing.” Professor Victoria L. Johnson added a blunt, “Grow up.”
Legal analyst Barry Markson condemned what he called excessive loyalty to the former president. “The sycophancy and bootlicking are unbelievable,” he wrote. “Johnson hasn’t governed or even opened the House, but he has time to kiss Trump’s butt. You know what no one who ever won the Nobel Peace Prize did? This. They never campaigned and begged. Pathetic.”
Political commentator Mark Bland added, “Weak. It was over when he named it the War Department. His own doing. Foolish. Now you’re worried about an award for a man who can’t lead his nation and negotiate to reopen the government.”
Journalist Bob Dalton echoed those sentiments, criticizing the idea of nominating a president associated with aggressive anti-drug operations. “If you turn masked thugs loose on your own country and murder suspected drug traffickers, you are not eligible for a peace prize,” Dalton posted.
Johnson, a staunch ally of Trump, has framed his support as recognition of Trump’s role in advancing peace agreements in the Middle East. But the announcement has underscored the deep partisan divide in Washington, with critics accusing Johnson of prioritizing symbolic gestures over solving pressing issues like government funding and public worker pay.