There was no shortage of ugly rhetoric at Donald Trump's event at Madison Square Garden, but one of the comments that got people talking had nothing to do with racism or bigotry. Instead, it was about an unscripted moment about former President and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

“We need to get the congressmen elected and we need to get the senators elected because we can take the Senate pretty easily and I think with our little secret we're going to do really well in the House, right? “Our little secret is that it has a big impact,” Trump said, looking in the Louisiana congressman’s direction.

The former president added, seemingly pointing at the House speaker: “He and I have a secret. We’ll tell you what it is when the race is over.”

To say the least, this caused some unease, especially among Democratic officials. Concern didn't subside when the Republican congressman confirmed that he and his party's presidential nominee do indeed have some sort of secret. “By definition, a secret cannot be shared — and I have no intention of sharing that secret,” Johnson said in a statement.

Hours later, as The Hill reported, the House speaker elaborated.

Of course, it is possible that Trump and Johnson have some sort of “secret” related to election tactics, although there is reason to be skeptical. After all, the Speaker of the House doesn't play a major role in directing his party's GOTV efforts, so there's no obvious reason why he and the former president should feel the need for a confidential agreement.

As for Johnson's claim that there is no real need for a closer look, he may not be aware of the broader context. The New York Times reported on the worst-case scenario from the Democrats' perspective: “It's a scenario in which Mr. Johnson, who worked with Mr. Trump to undermine the 2020 election results, again colludes with the former president “Steal the election and stop the certification of the results on January 6, 2025 if Vice President Kamala Harris wins.”

Look, this isn't middle school. It's not like Trump told Johnson in class which girl he's in love with, and the congressman feels the need to keep his pal's information secret.

The stakes are much higher. A convicted criminal is facing a multi-count federal indictment in which he is accused, among other things, of illegally trying to overturn an election. Johnson, meanwhile, was at the forefront of an ill-fated attempt to persuade the Supreme Court to keep Trump in power despite the voters' verdict, voting with his party to reject certification of the results of a free and fair election.

Johnson also repeated some of the wilder conspiracy theories about the race, and nearly four years later, the Louisiana Republican remains reluctant to acknowledge the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.

Against this background, Trump and Johnson say they have a “secret” related to the election. What could go wrong? Actually quite a lot.