Speaker Mike Johnson recounts terrifing incident when his young children nearly drowned shortly after becoming speaker
Share and Follow

House Speaker Mike Johnson recounted a frightening experience when his two teenage sons were caught in a rip current, nearly drowning, just a short time into his role as Speaker, during a conversation on “Pod Force One,” which aired on Wednesday.

While attending a fundraiser in Florida during Thanksgiving week in 2023, Johnson (R-La.) was interrupted by his security team with alarming news during a meeting.

“They were swept far out and were close to drowning,” the Republican speaker shared with Post columnist Miranda Devine, recalling the harrowing event. “My son Jack was holding up his younger brother, Will, who is 13, and he was on the brink of drowning. Then, his younger brother almost succumbed as well.”


Every week, Post columnist Miranda Devine sits down for exclusive and candid conversations with the most influential disruptors in Washington. Subscribe here!


“Jack and Will. They went to the ER, had their lungs pumped. I mean, it was quite an ordeal.”

Details about his children’s close call were previously reported by The Atlantic last year. Johnson underscored the sheer strength of the current that took his children and how, by chance, a nearby parasailer happened to see them and save the day.

“They’re great swimmers, but the rip current was so strong that day, and they got pulled far, far out,” the father of five said.

“And the only reason they were saved is because a parasailer happened to be going by and saw just my youngest son’s head right before he went under, waving for help.”

That parasailer had alerted nearby lifeguards, who dispatched jet skis to rescue his young boys. By the time Johnson arrived on the beach, he saw medical personnel around them as their chests were getting pumped.

A year-and-a-half later, his son Jack, whom Johnson described as a “great athlete,” has since completed his first year at the Naval Academy and wants to become a member of Special Forces.

After having dinner with Johnson the night before, President Trump caught word of the scary incident and called him up about a day later.

“I didn’t even tell him,” Johnson recounted. “He was so alarmed by what he heard, and he said, ‘Mike, it’s like a miracle.’ I said, ‘It is. Had it not been for the parasailer, we would have lost both my sons.’”

“So fast forward to the Butler, Pennsylvania, event many months later, when that happened, when I spoke to him after that, I said, ‘God saved your life, just as he did my boys in Mar a Lago,’” Johnson added.


Full episode


The father of five stressed that “God works in mysterious ways sometimes teaching us all these lessons, but that was a tough one.”

On Sunday, Trump marked the one-year anniversary of the Butler, Pa., assassination attempt against him in which a bullet grazed through his upper right ear, coming within a quarter inch of killing him.

“He’s a different person now than he was in the first term,” Johnson remarked about Trump. “He’s more thoughtful, contemplative. He thinks very carefully about decisions and is open to counsel on it.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
‘The View’s Whoopi Goldberg Fires Back At Trump’s Threat To Invoke The Insurrection Act In Minneapolis: “Protesting Is Not An Insurrection”

Whoopi Goldberg Challenges Trump’s Insurrection Act Threat: “Protesting Is Not An Insurrection” on ‘The View

Whoopi Goldberg has voiced her disapproval of President Donald Trump’s consideration to…
Berwyn police officer accused in DUI crash at Des Plaines Avenue and Country Club Lane, North Riverside police officials say

Berwyn Officer Faces DUI Allegations After Crash at Des Plaines Avenue: North Riverside Police Report

A police officer from Berwyn is facing allegations of driving under the…
Todd Monken expected to join John Harbaugh’s Giants staff in Jaxson Dart boost

Todd Monken Anticipated to Strengthen John Harbaugh’s Giants Staff with Jaxson Dart Enhancement

A Baltimore connection is set to light up East Rutherford as John…
ICE agent who killed Renee Nicole Good is now a millionaire

ICE Agent Involved in Renee Nicole Good’s Death Gains Millionaire Status

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer involved in the fatal shooting…
Manhattan, IL crash today: Students on school bus OK after deadly crash on Manhattan-Monee Road near School House, Scheer

Tragic Collision on Manhattan-Monee Road: School Bus Students Safe Amid Fatal Accident

A tragic incident unfolded in Manhattan, Illinois, on Thursday morning, as law…
Dodgers strike again! World Series champs land top free agent

Dodgers Secure Top Free Agent, Bolstering World Series Champion Roster

Kyle Tucker is set to join the ranks of Shohei Ohtani and…
Zodiac killer and Black Dahlia murderer suspect's family speaks out

Family of Suspected Zodiac and Black Dahlia Killer Breaks Silence

The Daily Mail has unveiled a fresh suspect in the Zodiac killings,…
15 former NCAA players charged in alleged scheme to rig basketball games

15 Former NCAA Athletes Indicted in Alleged Basketball Game-Fixing Operation

An extensive 70-page indictment details how fixers allegedly lured college basketball players…