Johnson claims Biden was unaware of natural gas export pause signing.

On Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., disclosed a meeting with President Biden from the previous year in which the president seemed to have forgotten that he had signed an executive order halting the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Johnson shared the story for the first time on Bari Weiss's podcast "Honestly" for The Free Press, stating that through his personal observation, he believes that Biden has not been in charge for some time. The story was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in June, but the newspaper's reporting relied on anonymous sources at the time.

Johnson recounted how Biden's staff ignored his attempts to schedule a meeting with the president in January 2024, citing "big national concerns" that kept him awake at night.

Johnson stated that after some media pressure, Biden's staff agreed to invite him to the Oval Office for a meeting with the president. Nevertheless, Johnson revealed that the meeting did not go as planned.

"Johnson stated, "I arrive and realize it's an ambush because it's not just me and the president. It's also Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem, and the CIA Director.""

Johnson stated that when Biden asked for the room alone with him, the group started "hot boxing" him about Ukraine funding, which made the president's staff visibly worried.

The speaker inquired about Biden's halt on LNG exports while alone with Johnson in the Oval Office.

"Johnson recounted telling Biden, "I couldn't respond to this question because it came from my constituents in Louisiana." He asked, "Why did you halt LNG exports to Europe? Our allies need liquefied natural gas. What was your reasoning? Did you realize that by doing so, you were supporting Vladimir Putin's war machine because they rely on him for their gas?""

Biden responded with a stunned expression, saying, "I didn't do that."

In January 2024, Biden halted new LNG export permits, a decision that has been widely criticized by the oil industry and bipartisan lawmakers in the House.

Biden denied that the executive order he signed was a pause on LNG when Johnson reminded him of it.

Johnson stated that he contended that the pause would cause significant harm to our economy and national security, and he proposed that the president's secretary produce a copy of the order for them to review together.

"Johnson stated that he was genuinely unaware of what he had signed, and he left the meeting feeling fearful and hateful because he believed the country was in grave danger. He wondered who had placed the paper in front of him and why he had not known."

If the LNG pause continues, nearly 1 million jobs could be lost over the next two decades, according to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers, as previously reported by Planet Chronicle Digital.

The study found that the export ban would stifle the U.S. GDP by between $122.5 billion and $215.7 billion in 2044, while between $26.9 billion and $47.7 billion in tax and royalty revenues to federal, state and local governments would be at risk in 2044 if the permit pause persists.

Sources reported in November that President-elect Trump plans to take a tough stance on LNG exports when he takes office.

This report was contributed to by Aubrie Spady and Eric Revell of Planet Chronicle Digital.