Alan Zendell, December 13, 2023

Most of us had never heard of Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) until he was suddenly voted in to replace Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. We quickly learned that he is an evangelistic Christian whose political ideology is uncomfortably similar to that of the MAGA terrorists who held McCarthy hostage and eventually ousted him as Speaker. The unanswered question was whether parallel ideologies implied similar temperaments and agendas.

In his first test, Speaker Johnson used a strong bipartisan majority to avert a government shutdown. Well done, Mike – but before we get too happy, let’s remember that the way the shutdown was avoided was a deliberate setup for the coming debate over defending Ukraine against Russia. What was once a no-brainer has turned into a MAGA extremist extortion plot over demands for increased border security and supporting Donald Trump. We didn’t know, in September, that that battle would expand to include supporting Israel in its war with Hamas.

But let’s be generous. Johnson saved the country from the economic chaos and loss of international standing that a shutdown would have caused. And there’s also that part of  American hubris that suggests leaders who find themselves with unprecedented responsibilities can grow into the job. Some, like Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson (no relation to Mike) actually did. Rather than behave like Donald Trump, we’ll reserve judgment because this is America, where people are innocent until proven guilty.

As a committed Christian, Speaker Johnson undoubtedly recognizes all the important people in his life with great generosity at Christmas. That would be a good thing if we were assured that they were the right people. But as things stood, today, although there is a substantial bipartisan majority in Congress and among voters who believe that continuing support for Ukraine is essential, the tiny MAGA minority that has already done so much damage to Congress’ reputation, is willing to hold Ukraine hostage until they get what they want.

It’s not clear which way Johnson will go on Ukraine. Is he all in on the MAGA border demands or is he extending the debate so the extremists can’t complain that they weren’t given a voice? Does he value our national security and preserving America’s role in maintaining the balance of power that has averted a third world war for seventy-eight years, or is hurting the Biden administration to help Trump win in 2024 his first priority?

That’s what the budget fight in Congress is about. Members of the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle strongly support Ukraine and recognize the danger of allowing Russia to win. American and European military leaders warn, every day, that a Russian victory in Ukraine could upset the entire world order, strengthening Russia, Iran, and North Korea, weakening our attempts to keep China from dominating east Asia, and irreparably damaging NATO.

Not once in his brief political career has Donald Trump treated Vladimir Putin as the dangerous adversary he is. His extreme narcissism, which causes him to crave acceptance by the dictators who would destroy our democracy and his lust for wealth he believes he can obtain by sucking up to Putin make Trump incredibly dangerous. As long as his base controls the Republican Party, the peril he would place us in will be the centerpiece of every political decision between now and the next election.

That’s quintessential Trump, making every decision on the basis of what’s best for him, and the Hell with the country and everyone else in it. The coalition of Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar and the other MAGA extortionists is single-mindedly focused on their domestic agenda of banning abortion, sealing our southern border, and assuring that their wealthy donors don’t pay taxes. To that end, turning a blind eye to what nearly everyone involved in national security policy views as critical is tantamount to treason.

It remains to be seen whether Speaker Johnson a smarter, more refined version of Matt Gaetz, or his highest loyalty is to the Constitution and the republic he swore to defend. I hope he will turn out to be this decade’s Lyndon Johnson. He laid the groundwork for that by stating publicly that what he needs, if he is to support giving Ukraine the weapons it requires, is a clear definition of what would constitute victory and a plan for achieving it. For his part, President Biden said today that he’s willing to make significant concessions on border security to get the aid packages for Ukraine and Israel done.

Both men thus drew the boundaries of a reasonable negotiation. If the MAGA crew chooses to be unreasonable, Johnson can overrule them and bring the aid bill to the floor, where it will surely pass. That would really be growing into the job of Speaker. The other choice, according to most experts, would give Putin a Christmas present we will all regret.