Mike Johnson, A Southern Baptist Congressman, Elected House Speaker

When we last left off, we reported how Rep. Mike Johnson out of Louisiana was poised to be the consensus candidate in the Republican Party to be elected House Speaker. Now it’s official. The congressman represents a substantial upgrade from Rep. Kevin McCarthy or Rep. Steve Scalise. An interesting fact is that he’s Southern Baptist. Moreover, he even once served as a trustee of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

How Based Is He?

The question is how based is Mike Johnson, and the answer is a bit of a mixed bag. Johnson has served in Congress since 2017. 

On one hand he invoked God’s providence in his opening address stating, “I believe that scripture and the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raised up each of you and God has allowed us to be brought here to this specific moment in time.”

Speaker Johnson: "I believe that scripture and the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raised up each of you and God has allowed us to be brought here to this specific moment in time."

You don't see too many politicians these days that talk about faith like this. pic.twitter.com/97MTrCMAeJ

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 25, 2023

On the other hand his first act was a bipartisan resolution standing with Israel, something that undermines his America First credentials. However, it’s worth noting that Mike Johnson has become an opponent to funding Ukraine’s war, something McCarthy wasn’t.

On cultural issues, Johnson is renown for opposing gay rights, something liberal media is afraid of. Consider this CNN article:

In editorials that ran in his local Shreveport, Louisiana, paper, The Times, Johnson called homosexuality a “inherently unnatural” and “dangerous lifestyle” that would lead to legalized pedophilia and possibly even destroy “the entire democratic system.”

And, in another editorial, he wrote, “Your race, creed, and sex are what you are, while homosexuality and cross-dressing are things you do,” he wrote. “This is a free country, but we don’t give special protections for every person’s bizarre choices.”

At the time, Johnson was an attorney and spokesman for Alliance Defense Fund, known today as Alliance Defending Freedom, where he also authored his opposition to the Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas – which overturned state laws that criminalized homosexual activity between consenting adults.

Who knew you could be a part of the ERLC and support the criminalization of homosexuality, because Richard Land certainly didn’t. Additionally, there’s more:

Listen to Mike Johnson absolutely destroy a doctor who performs life altering surgery on children.

Make this man Speaker! pic.twitter.com/4bUmmhfbdP

— 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸 (@Travis_in_Flint) October 25, 2023

On the other hand, like many Southern Baptists, Mike Johnson has gone woke before.

New GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson believes white people have “an easier path” in life than Black people because of the color of their skin.

Johnson said the country needs “systematic change” and “transformative solutions” to address this. pic.twitter.com/vndgOUJhME

— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) October 25, 2023

Overall, Mike Johnson is a substantial upgrade from McCarthy and his predecessors, and his opposition to Ukraine spending is the biggest reason for optimism in the upcoming budget battle.