'We save the republic by removing you': Malcolm Kenyatta fires back at Mike Johnson's midterm remarks

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday warned that supporters of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani are spreading across the United States to allegedly spread communism, and it is a serious political threat to the nation. The Republican urged voters to take the upcoming midterm elections seriously, claiming it is a "fight to save the Republic." In a rebuke to his claims, Democratic Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta claimed it was indeed a serious fight, but to save the Republic, Johnson had to be removed as House Speaker. 

On Tuesday, two candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Mamdani notched a string of primary victories in New York, defeating two sitting Democratic members of Congress, fueling a broader debate over the direction the party is heading into the midterms. The NYC Mayor, who is also backed by DSA, endorsed three candidates in the primary for an open House seat. The victories gave Republicans fresh fodder to attack the Democratic Party's ideology and agenda for the upcoming midterms.  "There are MINI MAMDANIS popping up all around the country. It is a dangerous thing—this is NOT a joke," Johnson wrote in a post on X. 

He echoed the message in front of reporters as well, claiming there is a "Marxist march" taking place in New York, and it is "no longer your father's Democratic Party." Sharing a clip from his press conference, Kenyatta said that while he agreed that the midterms were a serious battle for America, Johnson wasn't the right person to back. "True. However, the way we save the Republic is by ensuring you are no longer Speaker of the House," he wrote in his post on X. 

While Democrats claim that a blue wave is picking up momentum ahead of the November elections, critics argue that fractures within the party are now showing up. The two incumbents lost to candidates backed by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Celebrating the victory, Mamdani said, "I see these results as a reflection of the fact that New Yorkers are hungry for a new kind of politics." He added that people are "hungry for a politics that understands working people should be at the heart of it," as per The National Desk.

Earlier this month, Mamdani expressed that the Democratic Party had lost focus on the economic concerns of working-class Americans and urged his fellow colleagues to prioritize issues like housing, healthcare, and gas prices ahead of the 2026 midterms. He argued that internal ideological debates were distracting from these "kitchen-table" issues that affect most Americans.

On the other hand, Jeffries, when asked about the victories, said he sought to focus his attention on the party's broader electoral goals. "I think the goal is to win as many seats currently held by Republicans as possible and take back control of the House of Representatives," he said as per the publication. However, he added that he and Mamdani strongly disagree over the endorsements, and that the NYC Mayor had some work to do in terms of the "conversations that he's going to have with members of Congress moving forward."