Mike Johnson tries to blame media for voters complaining about direction of country

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has tried to blame a “hostile media environment” for voters saying they don’t like the direction of the country.

When Fox News’ Shannon Bream asked Johnson why Americans are complaining about issues like the economy, Johnson claimed there was a “false narrative” that the media has been promoting from Democrats and “Marxists.”

“Why do you think Americans tell us over and over again in the polls they are worried about all kinds of things that are tied to the economy? They don’t like the direction the country is moving in. They feel very pessimistic. Is something lost in translation? Is there more work to be done?” Bream asked Johnson on Sunday.

Eighty-five percent of registered voters said the economy was one of the most important issues in November’s midterm elections, according to a recent AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

“Look, it's a hostile media environment. Most of the mainstream media, of course, is advancing the false narrative of the other side — the Democrats and the Marxists, the insurgent left taking over the Democratic Party,” Johnson said.

Johnson and other Republicans have been stoking a fear of communism ahead of the midterms — despite no credible candidate identifying as a communist.

The Republican leader admitted that the party needs to work on bringing gas prices down, but suggested the alternative is worse.

“Gas prices are too high — we know that. And, of course, we have much more work to be done,” Johnson said. “But in a contrast election, the American people have a very simple choice.

“Do you want to turn the government over again to the people who opened the border, want to ban fossil fuels — what’s that gonna do for gas prices — the people who don’t believe in the rule of law, the people that brought you the unsafe streets and the terrible economic conditions?” Johnson asked.

Donald Trump has deeply inserted himself into GOP candidates’ midterm campaigns to try to keep the party in control of Congress, holding daily rallies to drum up support from his base.

But that may not be such a good thing for Republicans in tight races, given the president’s underwater approval rating.

A whopping 61 percent of Americans disapproved of Trump’s job as president, while just 39 percent approved, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll.

When asked about specific issues, 67 percent of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy, while just 33 percent approved. Another 67 percent disapproved of Trump’s war in Iran — which caused gas prices to soar — while 33 percent approved.

The annual inflation rate was up 3.7 percent in September, according to the federal government’s Consumer Price Index. This is well above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target.

The cost of gas was up a staggering 34.2 percent in September from the year before.

Sixty-seven percent of Americans said they feel things in the country are going either “very badly” or “somewhat badly,” according to the CBS News/YouGov poll.

Another 26 percent said things were going “somewhat well,” and just seven percent said things were going “very well.”