Candidates debate when they have to debate.

That’s why Donald Trump didn’t during the primaries.

That’s why Joe Biden, battling abysmal poll numbers, surprised everyone yesterday by agreeing to two debates.

And why Trump, who’s been demanding a side-by-side comparison – he had even floated debating on my show – immediately accepted.

With a speed that raised questions about whether it was ‘rigged,’ both camps agreed within a couple of hours to do the faceoffs on CNN on June 27, and on ABC Sept. 10. (Four networks were deemed eligible.) CNN has already announced Jake Tapper and Dana Bash as moderators.

While key details remain to be worked out, Trump appears to have agreed to two key Biden conditions. And this is not a man who likes others dictating the rules.

First, Biden doesn’t want an audience. He doesn’t want Trump, who draws huge crowds at rallies, whipping his supporters into hooting and hollering. (Trump said he wanted big venues for ‘excitement.’) The president wants a quiet debate focused on policy. 

Second, Biden wants a mute button. That is, when one candidate is speaking for the allotted 60 or 30 seconds, the other’s mike is shut off. This is to prevent a replay of their first debate in 2020, when Trump was constantly interrupting or talking over Biden and moderator Chris Wallace. The former president can’t be thrilled about that.

This all went public at 8 a.m. Eastern yesterday morning, when Biden posted a short and snarky video:

‘Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal.’ 

By the way, the man doesn’t make a very convincing Clint Eastwood.

‘I’ll even do it twice. So let’s pick the dates. Donald. I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.’ (The joke, in case you were wondering, is that the hush money trial isn’t in session on Wednesdays – like yesterday, when Biden’s message would actually get covered.’

Trump responded on Truth Social that while ‘Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced’ and ‘can’t put two sentences together,’ he accepts.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of these two events, which more than any debate since Ronald Reagan told Jimmy Carter in 1980 ‘there you go again,’ could decide the election.

Biden was on track to lose the election. He’s been shielded and hardly making any news, even before Trump’s hush money trial began. His team must belatedly recognize this. Joe had to do something to shake things up.

The Biden camp believes that his superior knowledge will become evident in no-frills debates. There’s also a conviction that the more the public sees of Trump, who’s been cooped up in a Manhattan courthouse, the better it is for the president.

On the other hand, Trump’s sheer physical presence, and bombastic style, will present a favorable contrast to Biden’s elderly mien and thin voice (though they’re only 3-½ years apart).

And trust me, as someone who’s sat down with Donald for an hour-long interview, he can focus and exercise discipline when he wants to.

This probably sounds the death knell for the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has handled the fall events since 1988. It has become something of a dinosaur, locked into three October debates (after early voting starts) with a loud audience. Plus the moderators, picked from the usual suspects (except the late great Jim Lehrer) were often distrusted. So both candidates are bailing on the bipartisan panel.

Already there’s chatter that Trump might find reasons to back out, but I don’t see that happening. And I didn’t think his opponent would engage.

But Biden’s calculation is that he had to roll the dice. We’ll know soon enough whether his gamble pays off. 

The latest Fox News survey shows former President Trump narrowly ahead of President Biden in the race for the White House. But the contest has tightened as an uptick in economic optimism pushes approval of Biden up.

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the 2024 election.

Who is leading the presidential race?

We reserve the word ‘lead’ for when a candidate’s edge is outside the margin of error. Trump’s current 1-point edge over Biden in the two-way matchup is not. Trump, however, has been narrowly ahead of Biden nationally for at least the last six months. He also tops Biden by 3 points when potential third-party candidates are included (43%-40%), while Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. garners 11%, and Cornel West and Jill Stein get 2% each. In March, Biden trailed by 5 points in each race.

Who does RFK Jr. hurt more, Biden or Trump?

Kennedy’s support comes about equally from those backing Biden (10%) and Trump (9%) in the 2-way matchup. What hurts Biden is that third-party candidates West and Stein siphon more points from him (6%) than Trump (1%).

A majority of Trump supporters (56%) have a favorable view of Kennedy, while a majority of Biden supporters view him negatively (62%). Fewer than one-third of those backing Kennedy have favorable opinions of Biden (31%) and Trump (28%).

Is the erosion of Biden’s support among minorities real?

The survey shows Biden receives 72% support among Black voters. That’s up from 66% in February, but still lags his 79% before the 2020 election.

While Democrats hope these voters will ‘come home’ when it comes time to cast their ballots, no one knows to what extent that will happen. 

There is, however, some precedent for a bounce of the magnitude the Biden campaign is targeting. In April 2020, Biden was at 66% among Blacks and 52% among Hispanics. He ultimately won both groups with much larger percentages, 91% and 63%, respectively, according to the November 2020 Fox News Voter Analysis.

Even so, Democratic pollster Chris Anderson is cautious in his optimism. ‘Biden cannot count on these voters to come home,’ says Anderson, who conducts the Fox News poll with Republican Daron Shaw. ‘It is not just a matter of motivating them to turnout, many need to be persuaded to change their mind. Fortunately for Biden, Trump will provide most of the motivation the base needs and he should be able to focus more on persuasion down the stretch.’

The president’s support has also softened among other groups that form the Democratic base. While he is still favored among suburban women (54%) and moderates (53%), that support is significantly below expectations. Before the 2020 election, those were both 61%. Plus, he only receives 49% among voters under 30, down from 63%.

What groups favor Trump?

Trump is carrying rural voters (+25), Whites without a college degree (+25) and White evangelical Christians (+44).

The preference among ‘new’ voters splits, whether it’s the 2-way (48% Biden vs. 50% Trump) or the hypothetical expanded ballot (39% Biden, 41% Trump, 13% RFK Jr.). New voters are defined as those who haven’t voted in the four most recent general elections.

Fewer of Trump’s 2020 voters defect in the expanded ballot, as he holds onto 87% compared to 80% of Biden’s 2020 voters sticking with him. Independents narrowly favor Trump (+2). Almost all Republicans back Trump, and an equal number of Democrats back Biden.

‘It’s a polarized country and the numbers show that,’ says Shaw. ‘But Trump has a slight advantage among those who aren’t core partisans or haven’t been engaged with politics. That’s part of what gives him the edge right now.’

Who do double haters support?

In 2020, only 6% of voters had an unfavorable opinion of both Biden and Trump, and they backed Biden by 17 points, according to the Fox News Voter Analysis election survey. Currently, 13% fall in the double hater category and they favor Biden by 11 points (48%-37%). That’s despite 87% of them disapproving of the job he is doing and 78% saying the economy is getting worse. In March, they preferred Biden by 2 points, and in February it was Trump by 3. Savvy survey readers know it is normal for results to vary among small subgroups.

Biden (85% favorable among Democrats) and Trump (86% favorable among Republicans) are equally liked among their partisans. Overall, 46% view Trump favorably as a person and 53% unfavorably for a net score of -7 points. Biden is -12 (44%-56%) and Kennedy is underwater by 4 (44%-48%), the first time he’s been in negative territory. 

Here are the scores for the other candidates tested: West (-11), Kamala Harris (-15), Stein (-21). Around half of voters are unfamiliar with West and Stein.

Where is there potential for movement?

In the Biden-Trump matchup, only 4% of voters are undecided, say they plan to back another candidate or won’t vote. While that seems like it leaves little room for movement, 15% peel away when offered other candidate options: 11% for Kennedy, and 2% each for West and Stein.

How is the race so close when more voters trust Trump on top issues?

By double-digit margins, more trust Trump on what are widely considered the two main issues of the campaign: immigration and the economy. Trump is also seen by single-digit margins as better able to handle foreign policy and crime. Biden holds advantages on election integrity, health care and abortion, while energy policy is a tossup between the two.

One reason the head-to-head matchup remains tight is that just because voters believe Trump is better on immigration and the economy doesn’t mean they automatically will support him. Instead, 10%-13% of those voters prefer Biden.

Plus, many who only somewhat disapprove of Biden’s job performance still back his re-election (41%), while virtually all who strongly disapprove favor Trump (93%).

Is the mood of the country improving?

Maybe.

Views on the economy remain negative by more than 2-to-1 (70% negative vs. 30% positive), yet they are at their most positive in nearly three years.

Thirty percent rate economic conditions as excellent or good, up from 17%, the lowest during Biden’s presidency (July 2022). The last time sentiment was this optimistic was in Biden’s first year in office, when in September 2021 it was 30% positive vs. 69% negative.

In addition, 30% say for their family it feels like the economy is getting better, an improvement of 7 points compared to last year. Still, 64% say it feels like things are getting worse.

Inflation is still an issue. For at least 8 in 10, paying for food, gas, utilities and health care is a problem for their family. That includes many who say grocery prices (62%), gas prices (49%), utility costs (44%) and health care costs (44%) are a ‘major’ problem. Three-quarters describe housing costs as a problem (47% major). Fewer, 43%, call student loans a problem (24% major).

Among lower-income households (below $50,000 annually), 71% say grocery prices are a ‘major’ problem, up from 67% last year and 60% in 2022.

The increased optimism on the economy has boosted the president’s job rating to the highest in over a year: 45% of voters approve and 55% disapprove. In March, it was 41%-58%. Since then, his approval is up 5 points among Democrats and 7 points among independents. 

Biden’s marks on specific issues are more negative: Israel-Hamas war (32% approve-64% disapprove), border security (33%-64%) and inflation (34%-64%). His best marks are on the economy, even though he is underwater by 19 points (40%-59%).

Is this election a referendum on the incumbent or the challenger?

The contest is mostly about Trump. Most of his supporters say their vote is for him (71%) rather than against Biden (29%). And while just over half of Biden backers say they are mainly for him (51%), almost as many say their support is better described as against Trump (48%).

What about likely voters?

It’s too soon to talk about likely voters. Most people start thinking about the election much closer to Election Day. Check back after Labor Day. In the meantime, this survey of registered voters finds 68% say they are ‘extremely’ motivated to vote. That’s up 6 points compared to four years ago. These extremely motivated voters favor Trump (51%) over Biden (48%) by 3 points. 

Poll-pourri

Overall, 41% think Biden has the mental soundness to serve effectively as president, up from 37% in March. Half (50%) say the same about Trump, up from 49% two months ago.Some 64% say it is important for Biden and Trump to debate, and another 43% think Kennedy should be included in at least one. More independents (49%) and Republicans (49%) than Democrats (35%) say it’s important for Kennedy to participate.

The survey was conducted during the third week of Trump’s hush money trial in New York. Some 46% think Trump did something illegal, 25% say something unethical but not illegal and 27% say he did nothing wrong. In general, by a 4-point margin, voters think Trump is being treated fairly by the legal system: 51% fairly vs. 47% unfairly. That’s down from an 11-point margin in October 2023 (55%-44%). Democrats (89%) and independents (52%) think he’s being treated fairly, and Republicans say unfairly (85%).Most Biden supporters want him to keep Vice President Harris on the ticket (72%), while those backing Trump have mixed views over whether he should pick a MAGA running mate (47%) or a ‘less’ MAGA Republican who would provide balance (50%).

CLICK HERE FOR AND

Conducted May 10-13 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,126 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (133) and cellphones (700) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (293). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

The Department of Health and Human Services implemented an immediate, government-wide suspension on all funds allocated to EcoHealth Alliance – a firm that used taxpayer funds to conduct gain of function research at the Wuhan lab before the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

HHS made the decision, citing evidence included in the House COVID Select Subcommittee’s staff-level report on the nonprofit. 

According to HHS, EcoHealth willfully violated the terms of a multimillion-dollar National Institute of Health grant. 

A spokesperson for EcoHealth Alliance told Fox News Digital that it is ‘disappointed by HHS’ decision today and we will be contesting the proposed debarment.’ 

‘We disagree strongly with the decision and will present evidence to refute each of these allegations and to show that NIH’s continued support of EcoHealth Alliance is in the public interest,’ the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

The House COVID subcommittee, reacting Wednesday, said those are ‘not the actions of an organization or an individual that should continue to receive taxpayer funds.’ 

‘EcoHealth Alliance and [EcoHealth President] Dr. Peter Daszak should never again receive a single penny from the U.S. taxpayer,’ committee Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said in a statement Wednesday. ‘EcoHealth facilitated gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, without proper oversight, willingly violated multiple requirements of its multimillion-dollar National Institutes of Health Grant and apparently made false statements to the NIH.’ 

Wenstrup added that those actions are ‘wholly abhorrent, indefensible, and must be addressed with swift action.’ 

‘EcoHealth’s immediate funding suspension and future debarment is not only a victory for the U.S. taxpayer, but also for American national security and the safety of citizens worldwide,’  Wenstrup said. 

Wenstrup’s committee, with support of Democratic lawmakers on the panel, had Daszak testify publicly earlier this month. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that EcoHealth Alliance received millions of dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). U.S. taxpayer funds flowed to Chinese entities conducting coronavirus research through EcoHealth Alliance.

That money – at least $600,000 – was redirected to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and went toward research to assess the transmission of bat coronaviruses to humans. The research included conducting RNA extractions and DNA sequencing on bat samples as well as biological experiments on pathogen spillover from bats to humans. 

EcoHealth Alliance also received more than $200,000 that was redirected to Wuhan University and went toward disease surveillance research activities, including collection of biological samples from people in China with high levels of exposure to bats for Wuhan Institute of Virology to conduct further screening.

Former U.S. government officials, like former NIH Director Francis Collins, said the U.S. taxpayer money was not approved to conduct gain-of-function research, which is research that involves modifying a virus to make it more infectious among humans.

The U.S. Energy Department and the FBI have determined that COVID-19 likely emerged from a lab leak in China.

Meanwhile, Wenstrup says his committee’s investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and EcoHealth ‘is far from over.’ 

‘Dr. Daszak and his team are still required to produce all outstanding documents and answer the Select Subcommittee’s questions, specifically related to Dr. Daszak’s potential dishonesty under oath,’ he said. ‘We will hold EcoHealth accountable for any waste, fraud, and abuse and are committed to uncovering any illegal activity, including lying to Congress, NIH, or the Inspector General.’ 

Democratic incumbent Senate candidates across the country in key battleground states are moving more and more to the center and right as polls continue to show President Biden trailing former President Trump in many key swing states.

Biden trails Trump in six battleground states with about six months to go before the election, according to Fox News polling last month, with Biden finding himself behind in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.

Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen has made it a point to tout her bipartisan credentials on the campaign trail.

‘I know what Nevada families are going through,’ Rosen said in her first ad launching her re-election campaign. ‘It’s why I first ran for Congress. And it’s why in the Senate, I’ve worked with both parties to solve problems. And always focused on making a difference in people’s lives.’

Rosen, like many other incumbent Democrats, is in a tough re-election campaign under the backdrop of historically low approval ratings for Biden, while also carrying a record of voting with the president 98.6% of the time last year, Fox News Digital reported.

‘Since day one, Sen. Jacky Rosen has worked to get things done in a bipartisan way,’ a Rosen campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital. ‘That’s why she’s been recognized as one of the most bipartisan and effective senators in the nation. No matter what year it is, Sen. Rosen will always be focused on bringing Republicans and Democrats together to deliver for Nevadans.’

Longtime Democratic Sen. Bob Casey is up for re-election in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, which Biden narrowly won in 2020 in a race he has acknowledged will be ‘tough.’

Casey recently distanced himself from the defund the police movement, despite recent endorsements from groups advocating that police departments be defended, and promoting a bill that would have overhauled policing practices at the height of 2020s protests and riots. 

Casey has faced strong criticism from his Republican opponent, businessman Dave McCormick, for allegedly shifting positions on key issues like immigration over the years, particularly when he is up for re-election.

The Pennsylvania Democrat has adopted a populist message on the economy, where Biden is underwater with voters, according to Fox News polling, by attacking ‘greedflation’ – a blunt term for corporations that jack up prices and rip off shoppers to maximize profits – and trying to reframe the election-year narrative about the economy.

‘Casey’s biggest vulnerability is the Biden administration,’ GOP consultant Vince Galko recently told the Philadelphia Inquirer. ‘Casey wins or loses based on what Biden does in the next couple of months.’

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Casey campaign spokesperson Maddy McDaniel said, ‘Bob Casey is consistently ranked among the most effective and bipartisan senators in Washington and has worked across the aisle to create jobs and lower costs. Meanwhile, his opponent David McCormick has only worked to increase his bottom line, from outsourcing American jobs to investing in Chinese military companies.’ 

In Wisconsin, Dem. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is running in a state Trump won in 2016 and narrowly lost in 2020, and she has attempted to position herself as a ‘pro worker’ candidate who champions the needs of the working class.

While Baldwin often touts her relationship with Biden, she recently joined several other vulnerable Democrats and opposed the president’s unfreezing of Iranian assets in October.

‘Tammy Baldwin is willing to work with and stand up to anyone if it means getting the job done for Wisconsin,’ Baldwin campaign spokesperson Andrew Mamo told Fox News Digital. ‘She has stood up for our workers by voting to repeal President Biden’s policy that let China cheat in the solar industry and successfully pausing his Indo-Pacific trade deal, and has gone to bat for our farmers by taking on the FDA for their wrongheaded decision to allow plant-based products to use the good name of Wisconsin milk.’

Incumbent Democratic senators in Ohio and Montana are also finding themselves in close races, with the Cook Political Report labeling both a ‘toss up,’ prompting each senator to publicly take more moderate positions.

Sherrod Brown has served as a Democrat representing Ohio in the Senate since 2007 and finds himself running for re-election in a state that Trump carried by eight points in 2020 and is expected to carry again.

Brown, who carries with him a record of voting with Biden 99% of the time from 2021-2023, and 97% of the time since 2023, has broken with the president on a few issues in recent months.

Brown became only the second Democrat earlier this month to oppose Biden’s electric vehicle tax credit plan, Politico reported, and also bucked the president over his repeal of Title 42 last year. 

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, running in a state that Trump carried by almost 20 points in 2020, has been described by his GOP challenger Tim Sheehy as ‘two-faced’ during election years, and has been taking positions to the right of Biden on key issues such as immigration.

Tester recently became the first Democrat in the Senate to back the Laken Riley Act after first opposing it as an amendment, which would require federal officials to arrest illegal immigrants charged with certain crimes like burglary, similar to the illegal immigrant alleged to have killed the 22-year-old Georgia nursing student for whom the bill is named.

Tester has publicly criticized Biden’s handling of the border and recently secured over $10 million to support law enforcement in Montana. 

‘Jon Tester does what’s right for Montana. President Trump signed more than 20 of his bills into law, including to help veterans, crack down on government waste and abuse, and support our first responders, and Jon stood up to President Biden by demanding action be taken to secure our border and protect Montana’s way of life,’ Tester campaign spokesperson Monica Robinson told Fox News Digital. ‘That’s why Jon has been ranked one of the most effective U.S. senators of either party.’

While incumbent Democrats across the country move to the middle and pitch themselves as pragmatic problem solvers who work across the aisle, Biden faces accusations of moving even further to the left on issues such as the conflict between Israel and Hamas and student loan handouts. 

Biden has faced criticism, including from his own donors, over threatening to delay weapons shipments to Israel if they continue a military campaign to rid Hamas from the city of Rafah, Gaza. Republicans have alleged that Biden is siding with progressive activists in his own party in an attempt to win over voters in key swing areas like Dearborn, Michigan, rather than give full support to Israel. 

Biden has made a noticeable effort in recent months to win back his Democratic base by holding events with progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., in April and issuing a ‘flurry of left-leaning policy announcements,’ according to Axios. 

Biden continues to be plagued by historically low approval numbers and low popularity in key swing states as Republicans grow more and more optimistic about taking back control of the Senate, which Democrats currently hold 51-49.

Polling this week shows that Democratic incumbents, or likely nominees, in the Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin Senate races all lead their respective GOP opponents, or hypothetical opponents, with less than six months to go until the general election in November, but the president trails Trump in almost every single battleground state, often by a significant margin.

The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report

Former President Trump accepted President Biden’s offer to debate him on television in June and September. 

After Trump said he was in, Biden said in a post on X that he ‘received and accepted an invitation’ from CNN for a debate on June 27. 

‘Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place,’ Biden wrote. 

When asked for comment, Trump told Fox News Digital that he will accept and ‘will be there.’ The Republican added that he is ‘looking forward to being in beautiful Atlanta.’

The proposal was initially outlined by the Biden-Harris campaign in a letter to the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates on Wednesday morning. It abandoned the decades-old tradition of three fall meetings organized by the debate commission. Trump afterward told Fox News Digital that he’d accept the timeline proposed by the incumbent Democrat. 

‘Crooked Joe Biden is the worst debater I have ever faced – he can’t put two sentences together,’ Trump told Fox News Digital. ‘Crooked is also the worst president in the history of the United States, by far.’ 

Trump told Fox News Digital that ‘it is time for a debate to take place – even if it has to be held through the offices of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which are totally controlled by Democrats and who, as people remember, got caught cheating with me with debate sound levels.’

‘I’m ready to go,’ Trump said. ‘The dates that they proposed are fine. Anywhere. Anytime. Any place. Let’s see if Joe can make it to the stand-up podium.’

‘The proposed June and early September dates are fully acceptable to me,’ Trump told Fox News Digital. ‘I will provide my own transportation.’

In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, the Biden-Harris campaign proposed that the first debate be in late June, after Trump’s New York criminal trial is likely to be over and after Biden returns from meeting with world leaders at the G-7 Summit. A second presidential debate would occur in September prior to the beginning of early voting. The campaign proposed a vice presidential debate to occur in late July after the Republicans nominate their vice presidential candidate.

The Biden-Harris campaign asked that the debates occur inside a TV studio, with microphones that automatically cut off when a speaker’s time limit elapses. The letter also asked that the debates involve just the two candidates and the moderator — without ‘an in-person audience with raucous or disruptive partisans and donors’ that Trump feeds on. 

They also want the debates without the participation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. or other independent or third-party candidates. 

‘Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal,’ Biden said in a video message shared earlier Wednesday morning. ‘I’ll even do it twice. So let’s pick the dates, Donald. I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.’ 

Echoing his sentiments expressed to Fox News Digital, Trump also took to Truth Social in a post Wednesday. 

‘It’s time for a debate so that he can explain to the American People his highly destructive Open Border Policy, new and ridiculous EV Mandates, the allowance of Crushing Inflation, High Taxes, and his really WEAK Foreign Policy, which is allowing the World to ‘Catch on Fire.’ I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,’ Trump posted. ‘I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds – That’s only because he doesn’t get them. Just tell me when, I’ll be there. ‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!’’ 

Trump on Saturday appeared before a crowd of tens of thousands on the Jersey Shore in the deep-blue state. The campaign event was held in between Trump’s appearances in Manhattan Criminal Court. 

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., floated the possibility of defunding the U.S. Office of Special Counsel on Wednesday, the day after he pledged to ‘rein in’ Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Trump.

‘There’s a lot of different ideas. People are alarmed that the special counsel, in that capacity, has been abused in recent years,’ Johnson said in answer to a Fox News Digital question at his weekly press conference. ‘How does Congress correct that error and ensure that a special counsel is not abusing their authority? You know, we have oversight, of course, we also have the power of the purse.’

Johnson became the highest ranking congressional lawmaker to support Trump in person Tuesday at the Manhattan courthouse, where the former president is facing a criminal trial related to accusations that he falsified business documents to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. 

That trial is unrelated to Smith’s probes into Trump in connection with the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents, but Johnson lambasted those investigations as well in comments to reporters after his court attendance.

He pledged on Tuesday, ‘I’m working with Chairman [Jim] Jordan of the House Judiciary Committee and Chairman [James] Comer of our Oversight Committee on measures to rein in the abuses of Special Counsel Jack Smith.’

Asked by Fox News Digital on Wednesday what that looked like, Johnson said, ‘There’s a lot of different ideas being discussed now on what that would look like. Do you defund the entire Special Counsel’s Office?’

‘What most people don’t realize is that is not funded in the regular appropriations process. It’s a separate, distinct account, and it’s effectively…funded autopilot,’ Johnson said.

He said House Republicans would continue ‘actively discussing’ various avenues to hold Smith accountable ‘even today.’

It’s not the first time Johnson has criticized Smith’s investigations or dismissed them as political operations. 

But his comments on Wednesday came after he poured cold water on calls to take Smith’s funding away in a Politico interview last week.

‘That’s not something you wave a wand and just eliminate the special counsel as a provision,’ Johnson told the outlet. ‘There is a necessity for a function like that, because sometimes the Department of Justice – which is an executive branch agency – can’t necessarily, without a conflict of interest, investigate or prosecute the president who’s their boss, or the president’s family.’

When reached for comment on the different statements, Johnson’s office referred Fox News Digital back to the speaker’s comments in the press conference and to a recent X post when he pledged to ‘rein in’ Smith.

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Justice Department for comment.