Speaker Johnson: Operation Epic Fury 'almost done' and raises concerns about mail-in voting practices

During the event, House Speaker Mike Johnson addressed questions about U.S. military posture in the Middle East and election integrity.

On foreign operations, Johnson said "Operation Epic Fury is almost done" and described a buildup of troops as a deterrent signal. "The buildup of troops is very different than boots on the ground," he said, adding that he did not believe sending additional forces constituted "boots on the ground" in the sense of a declaration of war.

Johnson also responded to questions about whether the United States is at war with Iran, reiterating his view that the operation was wrapping up and that U.S. objectives were being met.

On elections, Johnson commented on mail-in balloting, saying some states (he cited Florida as an example) "handle mail-in balloting well" and that he supported measures to strengthen election integrity where systems were less secure. He said he had spoken with members experienced in election administration and repeated concerns that universal mailings of ballots in some jurisdictions "open the door" to fraud.

These remarks were delivered in a brief Q&A; the transcript records the speakers' views and characterizations but does not include operational details from the Department of Defense, nor does it provide independent verification of the security assessments or the risk of fraud Johnson described. Questions about policy or troop movements would require confirmation from the relevant agencies for factual verification.