Mike Johnson's chief of staff arrested for DUI after Trump’s speech

The chief of staff to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Hayden Haynes, was arrested by Capitol Hill Police overnight Tuesday on suspicion of driving his vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The arrest occurred just hours after President Donald Trump addressed to a joint session of Congress, with Johnson and Vice President JD Vance behind him, as per protocol.

As reported by NBC News, Haynes did not resist arrest and received a subpoena to appear in court. Capitol Police report ed that Johnson's chief of staff had to be taken into custody after he rear-ended a vehicle near the U.S. Capitol. "We responded and arrested him for Driving Under the Influence (DUI)," the law enforcement agency said in its statement.

Confidence intact

Outside the Capitol, answering questions from reporters, the House speaker manifested his support for Haynes, his top aide. Similarly, Johnson spokesman Taylor Haulsee said the Republican leader and his team maintain their confidence in Haynes that he can lead his congressional office, even in the face of the incident.

"The Speaker is aware of the encounter that occurred last night involving his Chief of Staff and the Capitol Police. The Speaker has known and worked closely with Hayden for nearly a decade and trusted him to serve as his Chief of Staff for his entire tenure in Congress. Because of this and Hayden's esteemed reputation among Members and staff alike, the Speaker has full faith and confidence in Hayden's ability to lead the Speaker's office," Haulsee commented.

Haynes, a Louisiana Republican with a long history within U.S. politics, took over as Johnson's chief of staff since Johnson took over as House speaker in 2023. So far, neither Haynes nor his legal team has commented on the incident.