Hayden Haynes, the chief of staff to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing into a police vehicle following U.S. President Donald Trump’s address to Congress.
Officers responded to the scene and the driver was arrested, the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement. He was later released with a citation to appear in court.
Johnson said he’s known Haynes for more than a decade and said he’s “trusted and respected.”
“The Speaker is aware of the encounter that occurred last night involving his Chief of Staff and the Capitol Police,” Johnson’s spokesperson Taylor Haulsee said in a statement to NBC on Wednesday.
Story continues below advertisement
“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,” Haulsee added. “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.”
Haynes is a longtime aide to Johnson — a Louisiana Republican — and has served as the speaker’s chief of staff since Johnson took on the role in October 2023, according to his LinkedIn page. Prior to that, from January 2017, he was chief of staff to Johnson in his personal office. He was also the campaign manager for Johnson’s congressional campaigns from September 2016 through October 2023. Haynes has worked in various roles for former senator David Vitter from 2009 to 2016.
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
Johnson sat behind Trump during his speech at a joint session of Congress on March 4.
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress as Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) listen in the Capitol building’s House chamber on March 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
In the early moments of Trump’s speech, Johnson had Rep. Al Green removed from the chamber.
Story continues below advertisement
Green, a Houston lawmaker, stood and shouted at Trump after he said the Nov. 5 election had delivered a mandate not seen for many decades.
“You have no mandate,” Green said, refusing an order from Johnson to “take your seat, sir!” Johnson then ordered the Sergeant at Arms to restore order by removing Green from the chamber.
2:20 Texas Rep. Al Green removed from Congressional chamber for disrupting Trump speech
Johnson said afterward that Green should be censured by the House — among the more severe reprimands his colleagues could mete out.
“He’s made history in a terrible way,” Johnson told reporters afterward.
“If they want to make a 77-year-old heckling congressman the face of their resistance, if that’s the Democrat Party, so be it,” Johnson said. “But we will not tolerate it on the House floor.”
Story continues below advertisement
In a statement on X, Johnson wrote, “Rep. Al Green’s shameful and egregious behavior during President Trump’s Joint Address disgraced the institution of Congress and the constituents he serves. Despite my repeated warnings, he refused to cease his antics and I was forced to remove him from the chamber.”
“He deliberately violated House rules, and an expeditious vote of censure is an appropriate remedy. Any Democrat who is concerned about regaining the trust and respect of the American people should join House Republicans in this effort,” Johnson added.
Green said afterward it was worth it to get ejected from the hall to make his point — even if he is punished by House leaders.
“The president was saying he had a mandate, and I was making it clear that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green told reporters, referring to the health-care program used by 80 million Americans.
“It’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president.”
— With files from The Associated Press
