Mike Johnson

Oh, my...

God, guns, and freedom
U.S. Politics

Starting arguments over Thanksgiving dinner

* Nelson Rockefeller
* South Park Republicans
* Federalist Society
* FEMA concentration camps
* Supreme Court of the United States
* Manhattan Institute
* Paul Wellstone

Persons of interest

* Orrin Hatch
* Tim Eyman
* Roy Moore
* Wayne Allyn Root
* Hillary Clinton
* Ronald Reagan

v \- t \- e

“”I want to thank my dedicated wife of almost 25 years, Kelly. She’s not here, we couldn’t get a flight in time. This happened sort of suddenly. She’s spent the last couple of weeks on her knees in prayer to the Lord. And, um, she’s a little worn out.

—Mike Johnson seconds after becoming House Speaker and majority leader[1]

Mike Johnson (1972–) is the current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives after the previous Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from office on October 3, 2023. A former legal counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), he is a Southern Baptist[2] wingnut who holds some of the most religiously extremist conservative stances within U.S. politics.[3][4] It's unsurprising that the Freedom Caucus is in love with this guy, though Johnson himself is not a member of the group.[5]

Before becoming House Speaker, Johnson served as a U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th district (And continues to serve in that role) and a state representative from the state's 8th district.

## Contents

* 1 Political fundamentalism
* 1.1 Dominionism
* 1.2 Homophobia
* 1.2.1 The decline
* 2 Social Security and welfare
* 3 Persecution complex
* 4 Racism
* 5 Election denier
* 6 Forced birth and keeping dead people on life support
* 7 Hail Putin!
* 8 Notes
* 9 References

## Political fundamentalism[edit]

“”The Speaker is not involved in what happens in Ethics. Lots of important reasons for that.

—Speaker Johnson, perhaps a reason being that The Speaker doesn't have any[6][7]

Johnson strongly advocates for policies typically espoused by the religious right — including Christian nationalism,[8] a nationwide ban on abortion,[9] gay marriage,[10] and covenant marriage laws.[11][12] He frequently, if not always conforms his political views with Christianity; likewise, he frequently insinuates that America is in decline due to the country turning its back on the "18th-century" religious and moral "values" that the country was ( ~~allegedly~~ obviously) founded upon.[13][note 1] To give you an idea of how religiously deluded he is, Johnson believes mass shootings are caused by abortions, secularization, and even the teaching of evolution,[14][15] and prayer is the solution to the issue.[16]

He strongly believes in Young Earth creationism as well as its handmaiden, Biblical literalism, and has even written articles for Answers in Genesis;[17] in his article defending the Ark Encounter, he accused "radical secularists" of not only undermining constitutional law but also "misrepresenting related facts."[18]

In a similar manner, Johnson wrote a few articles for Townhall.com back in 2007, which largely focused on the whine that Christians were being persecuted. There, Johnson contrasted an article wondering why "our public officials and private atheists" were supposedly panicking about Jesus' teachings (which he described as "turn the other cheek, go the second mile, reach out in mercy to those who are lonely or impoverished or hurting") with an article that ignored these very same teachings in order to complain about the Day of Silence and, of course, accuse this protest of being part of the homosexual agenda.[19][20]

Johnson also moonlights as a professor at Liberty University teaching "Constitution and free enterprise".[21]

He also claims to believe that men and women are equal but strictly advocates for traditional gender roles to be upheld; naturally to him, women cannot and should not take up roles that are for men only because that is what God wants.[10]

Even discussions over climate change fall victim to Johnson's religious agenda. Johnson believes human activity is not the primary cause of climate change;[22] but on top of that, he's also denigrated climate activists as "irrational" and "anti-God," likening the modern climate movement as a religious cult that's replaced the worshiping of God with the worshiping of Earth.[23] On a podcast with Jordan Peterson, Johnson took this view into conspiracy territory, stating that, at the international level, climate change was a "sinister agenda" being pushed by "elites at the top of the food chain".[23]

### Dominionism[edit]

The Pine Tree Flag, aka the "Appeal to Heaven" flag. Conceived in the American Revolution, it was appropriated by Dominionists and the New Apostolic Reformation in the 2010s, and was a flag frequently seen at the 2021 U.S. coup attempt.[24][25] In November 2023, Rolling Stone revealed that this flag hangs outside Johnson's Washington DC office.[25]

Despite being a "constitutional lawyer" as he puts it himself, Johnson has clearly never heard of the Establishment clause and thinks that the American public has been brainwashed into thinking that the separation of church and state is a new phenomenon rather than something that actually exists in the U.S. Constitution, claiming that America is not a democracy but a "biblical republic";[26] this is essentially pious fraud.

In the late 2010s, Johnson prepared seminars to be presented in Louisiana Baptist churches entitled Answers for Our Times. The seminar insisted (historical facts be damned) that the United States was a Christian nation. The seminars' goal was equipping "churches to take a stand against the cultural attacks now being directed at people of faith, the traditional family and basic freedoms embedded in the U.S. Constitution." (The later presumably not including the Establishment clause, of course.)[27]

Mike Johnson has claimed that the pseudohistorian David Barton, who has questioned the Constitutionality of the separation of church and state, has had a "profound influence" on him.[28]

Underscoring his theocratic beliefs, Johnson has cultivated ties with members of theocratic movements such as the New Apostolic Reformation.[29] In fact, he is a close affiliate of the leader of the NAR, Jim Garlow.[30]

In November 2023, Mike Johnson spoke at an event hosted by the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, a Christian nationalist organization that says its goal is to codify a “biblical worldview” into law.[31] During that closed-doors speech, Johnson, thinking the media wouldn't notice (and unaware that the speech was being recorded for the NACL Facebook page), proclaimed that his ascent to the House speaker role was divine intervention and compared himself to Moses.[32]

### Homophobia[edit]

See the main article on this topic: Homophobia

Johnson has been called "the most anti-equality Speaker in U.S. history." He opposes same-sex marriage and called homosexuals "sinful" and "destructive", claiming that support for homosexuality could lead to support for pedophilia as well.[33] He went as far as to claim that "experts projected that homosexual marriage is the dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy that could doom even the strongest republic" without identifying who these "experts" were.[34]

In 2004, he went on a slippery slope argument on how the legalization of same-sex marriage would enable other forms of sexual misconduct or deviancy:

> Society cannot give its stamp of approval to such a dangerous lifestyle. If we change marriage for this tiny, modern minority, we will have to do it for every deviant group. Polygamists, polyamorists, pedophiles, and others will be next in line to claim equal protection. They already are. There will be no legal basis to deny a bisexual the right to marry a partner of each sex, or a person to marry his pet.

> If everyone does what is right in his own eyes, chaos and sexual anarchy will result. And make no mistake, the extremists who seek to redefine marriage also want to deny you the right to object to immoral behavior. Our precious religious freedom hangs in the balance. Homosexuals have the right to live however they choose but they cannot redefine marriage for our entire society. The stakes are very high in this battle, and it is not "intolerance" for us to desire a healthy and prosperous community.[35]

Similarly in 2003, he voiced opposition towards Lawrence v. Texas and explicitly advocated for the discrimination against those who commit sodomy and homosexual activities:

> Proscriptions against sodomy have deep roots in religion, politics and law. States have always maintained the right to discourage the evils of sexual conduct outside marriage, and the state is right to discriminate between heterosexual and homosexual conduct since the latter cannot occur within the confines of marriage. Homosexuals do not meet the criteria for a suspect class under the equal protection clause because they are neither disadvantaged nor identified on the basis of immutable characteristics, as all are capable of changing their abnormal lifestyles.[36]

Johnson has partnered with Exodus International, a conversion therapy group.[37]

In 2005, for his efforts in Alliance Defending Freedom (then known as the Alliance Defense Fund) fighting gay marriage in Louisiana, he was presented with an award by the Family Research Council.[38] Johnson has since been a frequent guest on the FRC show "Washington Watch with Tony Perkins".[39]

After becoming House Speaker, however, Johnson has somewhat reneged on his opposition to the same-sex marriage. In an interview with Sean Hannity, he stated he was okay with the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges[40] even though he initially sought to have it overturned soon after the decision was made.[41]

#### The decline[edit]

Johnson has a hard-on for masculinist fantasies of the Roman Empire,[42] and falsely blames homosexuality for its demise.[43][44]

“”Many historians, those who are objective, would look back and recognize and give some credit to the fall of Rome to, not only the deprivation of the society and the loss of morals, but also to the rampant homosexual behavior that was condoned by the society.

While there have been ancient historians who have blamed homosexuality for the decline of Rome (e.g. Sallust, Polybius, and Juvenal), it doesn't mean that these historians were "objective" or correct.[45] "The only people who think they’re 'objective' are white nationalist intellectuals."[45][46] The idea that homosexuality caused the decline of Rome, is not unusual, but according to historian John Boswell, this was one of two "major distortions in modern treatments of Roman homosexuality".[45] "This claim has little to do with the history of Rome and everything to do with the history of hatred of Gay people."[45]

## Social Security and welfare[edit]

Like many Republicans, Johnson has sought to repeal or cut spending on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, calling it a top priority for Congress to do so. While he was chair of the Republican Study Committee from 2019 to 2021, he helped craft budget resolutions that would have slashed these programs by trillions of dollars. In an attempt to justify his position, he nonsensically claimed that forced births are what drive welfare programs like Social Security and blamed women for wanting abortions instead of bringing in "able-bodied workers."[47][48]

## Persecution complex[edit]

During the podcast that he runs with his wife, "Truth be Told with Mike and Kelly Johnson", Johnson explained why he only defended Christian issues (for example as a lawyer at ADF). His explanation ran along the lines of his having a persecution complex:[49]

“”I would say because the fact is very simple: There is not an open effort to silence and censor the viewpoints of other religions. It is only and always the Christian viewpoint that is getting censored. The fact is the left is always trying to shut down the voices of the Christians.

## Racism[edit]

Johnson has made remarks that are adjacent to the racist "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory. He has frequently made false public claims such as, "This is the plan of our friends on this side — to turn all the illegals into voters. That’s why the border's open."[50]

## Election denier[edit]

Johnson is an ardent believer that Donald Trump's victory in the 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen due to voter fraud and has worked to overturn the election results. In fact, he has been described as "most important architect of the electoral college objections" — he took lead in the failed lawsuit that tried to nullify Joe Biden's victory and voted against certifying the election results during and after the onset of the 2021 U.S. coup attempt.[51] The fact that he is now House Speaker has raised obvious concerns on how the 2024 presidential elections will play out.[52]

## Forced birth and keeping dead people on life support[edit]

During Johnson's time at ADF, he took an active part in the circus that revolved around trying to keep the clinically dead Terri Schiavo on a feeding tube as long as possible. Johnson also viewed this task as morally equivalent to also banning all abortions, and the opposite stance to that of Nazi Germany. In 2005, at the time of the termination of Schiavo's feeding tube, Johnson wrote a letter to the Shreveport Times explaining his Nazi analogy:[53][54]

“”The prevailing judicial philosophy is no different than Hitler's. Because the life of an unborn child (or a disabled[note 2] Terri Schiavo, or the elderly or infirm) may be difficult or inconvenient or even costly to society now means it can be terminated. This disregard for life has been fostered by the courts. During business hours today, 4,500 innocent American children will be killed. It is a holocaust that has been repeated every day for 32 years, since 1973's Roe v. Wade.

## Hail Putin![edit]

Johnson and other Louisiana Republicans were able to receive tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from three Russian nationals in 2018, Konstantin Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, and Andrey Kunatbaev. It was something that they could not legally do directly, so they funneled the donations through the US company in which they owned an 88% majority share.[55] As of 2023, Konstantin Nikolaev was under economic sanctions by Ukraine.[56] Given that Johnson has at best been foot dragging on aid to Ukraine or at worst supporting genocide.[57]

## Notes[edit]

1. ↑ Chances are good that these "18th century" religious values Johnson advocates doesn't include deism.
2. ↑ Schiavo was already clinically dead, not disabled.

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, New House Speaker Kicks Things Off With Crass Remark About His Wife. New Republic, 25 October 2023.
2. ↑ How Mike Johnson's "Covenant Marriage" Helps Explain His Politics by Molly Olmstead (Oct 30, 20232:01 PM) Slate.
3. ↑ Conservative Republican walks into Louisiana Legislature’s District 8 seat unopposed by Nancy Cook (January 10, 2015), KTAL-TV.
4. ↑ Odette Yousef, Alabama justice's ties with far-right Christian movement raise concern. NPR, 27 February 2024.
5. ↑ Freedom Caucus ❤️ Mike Johnson by Anthony Adragna (November 2, 2023), POLITICO.
6. ↑ Live: ABC News Live - Thursday, November 14 (15 Nov 2024) Happyscribe, t=09:31:53.
7. ↑ The House speaker’s pathetic case for deep-sixing the Gaetz ethics report: Speaker Mike Johnson suddenly opposes releasing the report on Trump’s attorney general nominee. by Ruth Marcus (November 18, 2024 at 1:05 p.m. EST) The Washington Post.
8. ↑ Mike Johnson's Ties to Christian Nationalism Revealed by Ewan Palmer (October 26, 2023), Newsweek
9. ↑ What are new House Speaker Mike Johnson's record and views on abortion? by Shawna Mizelleand (October 26, 2023), CBS News.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Losing Liberty Without Losing Hope by Mike Johnson (July 2, 2017), Answers Magazine.
11. ↑ U.S. Rep Mike Johnson molds Republican messaging as 5th-highest GOP member of Congress by Mark Ballard (November 28, 2022), NOLA.com
12. ↑ 'Covenant Marriage' Offers Tighter Bonds (February 10, 2005), ABC News.
13. ↑ "New House speaker Mike Johnson praised ‘18th-century values’ in speech" by Martin Pengelly, Guardian, 2023 October 27
14. ↑ New House Speaker Blamed School Shootings on Teaching Evolution and Abortion by Nikki McCann Ramirez (October 26, 2023), Rolling Stone.
15. ↑ Biden urges assault weapons ban, as U.S. House Democrats advance gun control bills by Ariana Figueroa (June 3, 2022), Oregon Capital Chronicle.
16. ↑ After mass shooting, new speaker calls for prayer that ‘senseless violence can stop’ by Michael Macagnone (October 26, 2023), Roll Call.
17. ↑ Latest Articles by Mike Johnson, Answers in Genesis
18. ↑ Ark Encounter Incentives Are About Tourism by Mike Johnson (August 4, 2014), Courier-Journal. Archived by Answers in Genesis.
19. ↑ "Taking God Out Of School Leaves A Vacuum Something Will Replace" by Michael Johnson, Townhall.com, 2007 February 28, archived on 2012 April 9
20. ↑ "Why are so many American Educators so Afraid of the Truth?" by Michael Johnson, Townhall.com, 2007 April 4, archived on 2012 April 4
21. ↑ "Meet Rep. Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the House who introduced the national version of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law and played a key role in Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election" by Bryan Metzger, Business Insider, 2023 October 26
22. ↑ Johnson brings pro-oil, climate-skeptical record to speakership by Zack Budryk (October 25, 2023), The Hill.
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Mike Johnson Hates America, But He Believes He Can Save It by David Corn (October 26, 2023), Mother Jones.
24. ↑ "The Pine Tree flag: How one symbol at the Capitol riot connects far-right extremism to Christianity" by Ishaan Jhaveri, Tow Center (Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism), Medium.com
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "The Key to Mike Johnson’s Christian Extremism Hangs Outside His Office" by Bradley Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor, Rolling Stone, 2023 November 10
26. ↑ Johnson: We’re Not A Democracy, We’re A “Biblical” Republic And Separation Of Church And State Isn’t Real (October 26, 2023), Joe. My. God.
27. ↑ "Mike Johnson Conducted Seminars Promoting the US as a “Christian Nation”" by David Corn, Mother Jones, 2023 October 28
28. ↑ ‘Like Winning the Lottery’: Mike Johnson’s Ascent Excites Conservative Christians by Ruth Graham, New York Times, 2023 November 14
29. ↑ "Mike Johnson, Polite Extremist" by Matthew D. Taylor, Bulwark, 2023 October 30
30. ↑ "Speaker Mike Johnson draws scrutiny for ties to far right Christian movements", NOR, All Things Considered, transcript, 2023 December 5
31. ↑ "Mike Johnson Keeps Flaunting His Extreme Ideology" by Tori Otten, New Republic, 2023 November 29
32. ↑ "Mike Johnson Compares Himself to Moses at Christian Nationalist Gala" by Tim Dickinson, Rolling Stone, 2023 December 6
33. ↑ How new House Speaker Mike Johnson spent years fighting against gay rights by Will Steakin (October 25, 2023), ABC News.
34. ↑ Same-sex marriage must be opposed by Mike Johnson (February 22, 2004), The Times (Shreveport).
35. ↑ Marriage amendment deserves strong support by Mike Johnson (September 12, 2004), The Times (Shreveport).
36. ↑ Justice takes swipe at American values by Mike Johnson (July 8, 2003), The Times (Shreveport).
37. ↑ Before he became a politician, House Speaker Mike Johnson partnered with an anti-gay conversion therapy group by Andrew Kaczynski (November 1, 2023) CNN.
38. ↑ "FRC Presents “Family, Faith, and Freedom Award” to ADF Lawyer", Christian Post, 2005 March 17
39. ↑ "Mike Johnson’s Podcast Tells You Everything You Need to Know About Mike Johnson" by Calder McHugh, Politico, 2023 October 26
40. ↑ Speaker Johnson on same-sex marriage: ‘I am a rule of law guy’ by Lauren Irwin (October 26, 2023), The Hill.
41. ↑ New House Speaker Mike Johnson once wrote that homosexuality will lead to 'chaos and sexual anarchy' by Thibault Spirlet (October 26, 2023), Business Insider.
42. ↑ How often do men think about ancient Rome? Quite frequently, it seems. by Leo Sands (September 14, 2023) The Washington Post.
43. ↑ Hear House speaker's past comments blaming the fall of the Roman Empire on homosexuality (Nov 1, 2023) CNN via YouTube.
44. ↑ House Speaker Mike Johnson once blamed fall of Roman Empire on ‘homosexual behavior’ by Muri Assunção (November 2, 2023 at 2:13 p.m.) New York Daily News.
45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 Another Politician Blames Fall of Rome on Homosexuality (November 6, 2023) Pharos.
46. ↑ Sallust and Juvenal Made Prophets of Racial Decline (July 31, 2020) Pharos
47. ↑ New House Speaker Once Blamed Abortions for Social Security, Medicare Cuts by Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling (October 25, 2023), The New Republic.
48. ↑ New GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson Has Proposed Trillions in Cuts to Social Security and Medicare by Jake Johnson (October 25, 2023), Common Dreams.
49. ↑ For Mike Johnson, Religion Is at the Forefront of Politics and Policy: The new House speaker has put his faith at the center of his political career, and aligned himself with a newer cohort of conservative Christianity that some describe as Christian nationalism. by Annie Karni et al. (Oct. 27, 2023) The New York Times.
50. ↑ Mike Johnson’s conspiracy theories about ‘illegals’ mark a new GOP low by Greg Sargent (October 27, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT) The Washington Post.
51. ↑ New US House speaker tried to help overturn the 2020 election, raising concerns about the next one by Nicholas Ricccardi (October 26, 2023), AP News.
52. ↑ Mike Johnson helped lead efforts to overturn the 2020 election. What that could mean for 2024 by Tal Axelrod (October 27, 2023), ABC News.
53. ↑ Schiavo case advances 'culture of death' by Mike Johnson (April 1, 2005) Shreveport Times via Newspapers.com. Page 13.
54. ↑ New Speaker of the House Equated Reproductive Rights with Holocaust: Editorial uncovered by Documented reveals Johnson's extreme views on abortion. by Jamie Corey (Oct 26, 2023) Documented.
55. ↑ Mike Johnson's Campaign Contributions From Company Tied to Russia by Ewan Palmer (Oct 27, 2023) Newsweek.
56. ↑ Превратил деньги в вино. Винодельни при дворце Путина убыточны, несмотря на вложенные в них миллиарды (15 September 2023) Коррупция/The Insider (archived from November 17, 2023).
57. ↑ A US veteran who says he fought in Ukraine accused Mike Johnson and MAGA Republicans of 'supporting the genocide of innocent people' by Thibault Spirlet (Feb 7, 2024, 4:44 AM PST) Business Insider.