In a strong rebuke, the White House criticized newly-elected Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) recent remarks suggesting that the "human heart" is to blame for the prevalence of mass shootings in the United States. The statement came after a tragic incident in Maine, where a gunman took the lives of 18 individuals earlier this week.

Deputy press secretary Andrew Bates expressed the White House's rejection of Johnson's offensive accusation. He stated, "We absolutely reject the offensive accusation that gun crime is uniquely high in the United States because of Americans' 'hearts'." Bates further added, "Gun crime is uniquely high in the United States because congressional Republicans have spent decades choosing the gun industry's lobbyists over the lives of innocent Americans. Gun violence is now the main reason that American children's hearts stop beating. Not cancer, not car accidents - gun violence."

Bates emphasized that the root cause of gun violence lies in Republican lawmakers' failure to take action in preventing civilians from accessing "weapons of war." He referred to the Lewiston shooting as "the latest proof point that gun crime is an urgent national security crisis."

The White House's response to Johnson's comments marks one of the most direct criticisms of the newly-elected Speaker since he assumed his role this week, after a tumultuous three-week period for House Republicans to find a replacement for Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Johnson made the controversial remarks during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. When asked about calls for action on gun laws following the Maine massacre, Johnson asserted, "At the end of the day, the problem is the human heart. It's not guns. It's not the weapons…we have to protect the right of the citizens to protect themselves, and that's the Second Amendment."

Law enforcement is still on the hunt for the gunman responsible for the Lewiston shooting, as several communities in Maine and neighboring areas remain on lockdown.

President Biden has consistently advocated for the reinstatement of an assault weapons ban in order to address the alarming prevalence of mass shootings in the country. The White House reiterated their calls for action on gun control following the tragic incident in Maine.