Speaker Mike Johnson popped CNN’s bubble on Wednesday, and The Source host Kaitlan Collins was not happy about it. During an interview, Collins tried to tell Johnson that he simply couldn’t say that the anti-DOGE protestors who are showing up at town halls across the country are paid activists.

It began innocently enough with Collins wondering, “Do you have concerns that that's anything that Democrats will be able to use to run against those Republicans in the midterms?”

Johnson replied, “No, because the—no, I don't. Because the videos you saw of the town halls were for paid protesters in many of those places. These are Democrats who went to the events early, and filled up the seats. If you had—if the videos had panned outside the building—”

Collins interrupted, “You can't argue they were all paid protesters, though, Mr. Speaker.”

Johnson held his ground, “Many of them were. I don't know, we—”

Still not happy, Collins didn’t seem to understand that “paid protestors” and “constituents” are not mutually exclusive, “One of your— a Republican acknowledged they were his constituents.”

Clearly frustrated that he was expected to take that seriously, Johnson replied with some bitter sarcasm, “One Republican acknowledged they were his constituents. That's fantastic, okay, but they had Democrats come and fill the seats early, all right? This is an old playbook that they pulled out and ran, and it made it look like that what is happening in Washington is unpopular.”

Johnson continued:

But I'm going to tell you, Kaitlan, the American people are behind what's happening. The DOGE effort is polling over 80 percent right now. They want us to find efficiencies in the federal government. They want the government to be smaller and leaner and more accountable to the taxpayers.

And that's what these efforts are all about. That's what the Republican Party is about. That's what our commitment is to do. To make government work better for the people. This is a restoration of commonsense above everything else, and I think the American people are going to remain in favor of what's happening here.

Still not accepting Johnson’s answer, Collins brought the DOGE portion of the interview to a close, “Okay. I was just, those lawmakers do also represent Democrats. That doesn't mean they were paid to show up, if they're upset about this.”

It is a well-documented fact that liberal activists and groups like MoveOn and Indivisible are involved in these incidents, so the idea that these are just a bunch of concerned citizens who happened to bring their cameras to a town hall is a bit far-fetched.

Here is a transcript for the February 26 show:

CNN The Source with Kaitlan Collins

2/26/2025

9:27 PM ET

KAITLAN COLLINS: Do you have concerns that that's anything that Democrats will be able to use to run against those Republicans in the midterms?

JOHNSON: No, because the—no, I don't. Because the videos you saw of the town halls were for paid protesters in many of those places. These are Democrats who went to the events early, and filled up the seats. If you had—if the videos had panned outside the building—

COLLINS: You can't argue they were all paid protesters, though, Mr. Speaker.

JOHNSON: Many of them were. I don't know, we—

COLLINS: One of your — a Republican acknowledged—

JOHNSON: Yes.

COLLINS: --they were his constituents.

JOHNSON: One Republican acknowledged they were his constituents. That's fantastic, okay, but they had Democrats come and fill the seats early, all right? This is an old playbook that they pulled out and ran, and it made it look like that what is happening in Washington is unpopular.

But I'm going to tell you, Kaitlan, the American people are behind what's happening. The DOGE effort is polling over 80 percent right now. They want us to find efficiencies in the federal government. They want the government to be smaller and leaner and more accountable to the taxpayers.

And that's what these efforts are all about. That's what the Republican Party is about. That's what our commitment is to do. To make government work better for the people. This is a restoration of commonsense above everything else, and I think the American people are going to remain in favor of what's happening here.

COLLINS: Okay. I was just, those lawmakers do also represent Democrats. That doesn't mean they were paid to show up, if they're upset about this.