By Matthew Holloway |
In a video rant on Thursday, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) claimed he had to ‘restrain’ himself during a hallway clash with House Speaker Mike Johnson over the government shutdown and swearing-in of Democrat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva.
The exchange, captured on video and shared by Gallego’s office, happened on Wednesday outside Johnson’s office at the Capitol. Both of Arizona’s Democrat Senators, Gallego and Mark Kelly, pressed Johnson on his refusal to swear in Grijalva, a Democrat and the daughter of the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, in a pro forma session.
Grijalva’s seating would provide the 218th signature needed for a discharge petition to force a House vote on releasing Jeffrey Epstein’s client list, they contend. However, Speaker Johnson has described the controversy as a “red herring” and a “distraction.” Grijalva’s special election win in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District is also still pending certification in a statewide canvas scheduled for Oct. 14th.
Gallego, a Marine veteran, described the moment in his post on X, claiming that he folded his arms in a posture he described as a Marine technique for de-escalation, to avoid escalating the situation. “I had to restrain myself from doing more,” Gallego wrote, accusing Johnson of “holding Adelita Grijalva hostage” to block the Epstein vote. In the video, Gallego can be heard telling Johnson to “get your people in and stop covering up for the pedophiles,” referring to the Epstein files.
Kelly, standing beside Gallego, called the delay “ridiculous” and urged Johnson to “swear her in,” emphasizing Grijalva’s victory in the heavily Democratic district. The confrontation lasted less than two minutes and was filmed by reporters who had gathered for a planned press gaggle outside the Speaker’s office. Contrary to Gallego’s claims, U.S. Marine Corps manuals and law enforcement de-escalation guidelines from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, as cited by the Daily Caller, do not prescribe the crossing of arms as a de-escalation technique. Rather, the outlet noted body language experts interpret the gesture as defensive or closed-off, and suggest positions with hands, open and visible.
Johnson, appearing on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper, described the encounter as a “failed publicity stunt” by the Democrats. He disputed Gallego’s account of his body language, saying the senator appeared “very uncomfortable” and was “not telling you the truth.” Johnson reiterated that the House is not in session due to the Democratic walkout and pointed to the Democrats’ demanding concessions like $200 billion in benefits for non-citizens.
In his ranting video reaction to the Jake Tapper appearance, Gallego claimed, “He’s such a f***ing liar. And what a creep. He’s just telling what I’m thinking. I literally told him what I’m thinking. He is absolutely holding Adelita Grijalva hostage so that way she can’t be the 218th vote on the discharge petition. That’s it. It’s just that simple,” Gallego said.
“His reasons keep on changing. I think he gets away with the press because they don’t actually push him on it, but I did yesterday, and he should be happy I had my arms folded. There’s a reason why Marines fold their arms. It’s because it’s a way to make sure that we restrain ourselves,” Gallego said.
Speaker Johnson’s Rapid Response team offered a blistering response in a post to X, writing, “Instead of voting to OPEN the Government, Gallego instead has time to: Stage a FAILED publicity stunt, FAIL to fundraise off it, Record this SECOND rate video, Seemingly threaten the Speaker?! Democrats hide behind expletives because they have NO message.”
The partial government shutdown began Sept. 30 after Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution to fund federal operations. It has furloughed thousands of federal workers and closed some national parks. Republicans, led by Johnson, seek to strip funding for programs they view as wasteful, including subsidies for Planned Parenthood and specific green energy initiatives. Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have pushed for a “clean” bill without those cuts, accusing Republicans of using the shutdown as leverage.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
