Trump Ally Mike Johnson New House Speaker, Signaling Rightward Shift in GOP

Few know him and Dems like that as they want to define him to their advantage

Rep. Mike Johnson
Rep. Mike Johnson
(TV)

Few know him and Dems like that as they want to define him to their advantage


In a historic and contentious election, little-known Trump ally Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. This decision marks a significant shift to the right for the Republican Party and brings an end to a tumultuous three-week succession battle that had paralyzed legislative activities. The House voted 220 to 209 in favor of Johnson, following 22 days of deliberation, 14 candidates, four nominees, and three floor votes. Johnson’s win put the House in the unprecedented situation of having both chamber’s top leaders representing the same state, with Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) remaining the No. 2 Republican. His election as Speaker comes after the Republican Party rejected the nominations of its second- and third-ranking leaders to succeed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Johnson is a 51-year-old congressman from Louisiana, representing his hometown of Shreveport and a big chunk of western Louisiana. Before coming to Washington, Johnson honed his messaging skills in the courtroom and appearances as a guest host on Louisiana radio shows and entered politics as a state lawmaker. A constitutional lawyer, he was a member of the House Judiciary and Armed Services panels.

He has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. His elevation to the position of Speaker underscores the ongoing tensions within the Republican Party, as it grapples with divisions between the emerging populist wing aligned with Trump and establishment Republicans.

He is the least experienced Speaker in 140 years, with just four terms in the House and no senior leadership roles or full committee chairmanships under his belt.

The son of a firefighter, Johnson entered Congress following his 2016 election, coinciding with Trump’s presidential victory. He was the top Republican vote-getter in the 2016 primary when he was first elected, and went on to win the general election runoff by 30 percentage points. He won his next two races with nearly two-thirds of the vote and was ran unopposed last year. Trump won the 4th District by 24 points in 2020.

In his speech on the House floor, Johnson emphasized his religious faith and commitment to conservative principles while acknowledging the necessity of compromise in legislative processes. Johnson outlined seven “core principles” of conservatism in his first speech from the speaker’s dais: “Individual freedom, limited government, the rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets and human dignity.”

President Joe Biden congratulated Johnson on his election, urging Republicans to address national security needs and avoid a government shutdown in the coming weeks (Nov. 17 deadline).

Johnson’s tenure as Speaker begins amid ongoing budget disputes, with his staunch advocacy for spending cuts and resistance to short-term funding extensions potentially influencing negotiations to avert a government shutdown next month.

While Johnson had previously expressed skepticism about providing aid to Ukraine, he has indicated a willingness to engage in discussions regarding President Biden’s request for additional funding to support Ukraine’s counter-offensive against Russia.

Johnson had objected to the certification of the 2020 election results and played a significant role in gathering signatures for an amicus brief in a Texas lawsuit that sought to overturn election outcomes in several states.

Johnson’s leadership is expected to shift the Republican Party further to the right, as he holds strong ties to the Christian right and has a history of legal work defending “traditional family values” and advocating against same-sex marriage. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Steve Bannon’s podcast this morning said: “If you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention.”

Democrats react. Some Democrats anticipate that Johnson’s tenure as Speaker will bring few changes in the Republican Party’s approach and will likely result in a more conservative agenda. And given his brief time in Congress, they see the rare chance to define a leader of the opposing party before Washington or the media knows much of anything about him. For example, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said: “Mike Johnson, probably moreso than almost any other member of the House Republican Conference, wants to criminalize abortion care and propose a nationwide ban.”

Johnson is open to a stopgap bill for as long as five months to fund the government beyond Nov. 17, as members try to avoid accepting a Senate plan. Johnson sent colleagues a letter this week (link) outlining a plan to move ahead on government-funding legislation. It revealed he wants the House to consider a new farm bill in December.

The letter calls for fast votes on eight spending bills by the Nov. 17 deadline — beginning with a vote on Energy and Water appropriations this week — but he also acknowledges a final deal may not happen by then. If a stopgap bill is needed, he’d propose a stopgap expiring on Jan. 15 or April 15. The letter also calls for votes on Legislative Branch, Interior-Environment, and Transportation-HUD funding next week, and Financial Services and Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations the following week. It calls for Labor-HHS-Education and Agriculture-FDA votes the week after that.

Johnson has been more conservative McCarthy, especially on social issues. He’s a vocal critic of abortion and LGBT rights, and played a key role in pushing fellow Republicans to try to toss out the votes from critical swing states in the 2020 presidential election. Some key issues:

  • Jan. 6: Johnson recruited Republicans to join a longshot lawsuit aiming to throw out the results in four swing states. The suit was tossed out by the Supreme Court. Later, Johnson provided some of the legal rationale Republicans used to object to the results in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
  • Abortion: Johnson introduced legislation in February that would make it a federal crime to transport a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion without satisfying any parental notification requirements in the minor’s home state (HR 792). Johnson holds strong anti-abortion views he says are rooted in his life story. “I was the product of an unplanned pregnancy and teen-age parents,” he said at an April 2016 Louisiana House hearing. “I’m grateful I wasn’t aborted.”
  • Sexuality: Johnson introduced a bill to block federal funding for “sexually oriented” education for young children (H.R. 9197). The bill was largely seen as part of the GOP’s broader opposition to teaching children about topics related to LGBTQ identity.
  • Continuing Resolution (CR): He opposed the temporary spending measure, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), aligning with 90 other House Republicans, at the Sept. 30 deadline.
  • Ukraine: Johnson could make it difficult to get additional funds for Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia’s invasion. He voted for an unsuccessful provision in this year’s annual military policy bill (HR 2670) that would have cut out American aid to Kyiv. Last month, he voted against HR 5692, the Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act, which passed. The bill appropriates federal dollars to assist Ukraine’s military in its defense against Russia and establishes an inspector general’s office to oversee aid.
  • Border security: He supported measures to bolster border security within the CR, which aimed to restrict eligibility for asylum seekers. The bill did not garner enough support to pass.
  • Farm bill: Johnson voted for the 2018 Farm Bill and as noted, wants the full House to consider a new farm bill in December, despite major unresolved issues.
  • Covid: He used his Armed Services perch to push an amendment opposing Covid-19 vaccine requirements in the military.
  • Campaign funding: As Speaker, Johnson will need to oversee a large staff and manage a substantial national fundraising apparatus — and he is far from a prolific fundraiser, which is a key responsibility for party leaders. His campaign raised about $1.3 million in the 2022 election cycle, a fraction of the $28 million raised by McCarthy’s campaign.

Bottom line: There will or should be a brief “honeymoon” for Johnson, but recent events have shown that the duration of any such goodwill among GOP rebels in the House may be short lived. However, his history shows he is practical and unlike some in his party, he has to realize that Democrats control the Senate and the White House and thus dictating provisions of key legislation usually goes nowhere. Said one Capitol Hill veteran observer: “I don’t mind the House majority trying to negotiate from a position of strength by passing legislation in a form it likes. That’s how it is done. But having wholly unrealistic expectations with no means of achieving them but tilting at windmills just the same and embarrassing the country, the institution, and the party — and possibly putting the country in danger — is so incredibly reckless. Johnson is not that type. Hopefully he can manage the handful that is.”