Johnson: U.S. is in 'most dangerous situation since World War II'

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in an interview Sunday that the U.S. is in “the most dangerous situation since World War II,” citing the economy, global tensions and the southern border.

“Everywhere I go, Kristen — and I go to blue states, and blue districts, swing districts — that the No. 1 concern on everybody's mind is the cost of living,” Johnson told NBC News’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.” 

“Right after that is the wide-open border that the border czar, Kamala Harris, enabled and put together,” the House Speaker added. “All the catastrophe that comes from that. They're worried about the weakness on the world stage that Biden and Harris have projected, which has gotten us into the most dangerous situation since World War II.”

Former President Trump’s campaign has gone after Vice President Harris as a “border czar” multiple times, referencing her assignment to address the root causes of migration coming from the Northern Triangle area of Central America. Trump criticized Harris last month for a planned trip to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, saying it was only for “political reasons.”

Harris has been trying to go on offense over immigration and has argued that she is dedicated to halting illegal crossings.

The final weeks of the 2024 presidential cycle have also been marked with high international tensions, with Iran launching a barrage of missiles at Israel following pager explosions and Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and the war between Ukraine and Russia still raging.

“You have to have strength,” Johnson said later in the interview. “You have to have a steady hand. You have to have a commander in chief that our allies respect and our enemies fear. They do not fear Kamala Harris. They do fear Donald Trump. That’s what people are gonna vote on.”

The Hill has reached out to the vice president’s office, the Harris campaign and the White House for comment.