Alan Zendell, April 18, 2024

During his relatively brief tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (R, LA) has been somewhat of a mystery. From the outset, we knew he was pretty far to the right on the political spectrum, he was acceptable to the MAGA terrorists, he was staunchly opposed to abortion, and he was an election denier who tried to help Donald Trump overturn the results of the 2020 election.

He began his term with a five-vote majority which has since shrunk to one. To make life even more difficult, he inherited the legacy of Kevin McCarthy, who allowed the MAGA crew to force through a Rule that allows a single member, with or without cause, to call for a vote of confidence in the Speaker.

I wanted to learn more about Johnson’s views. I could have read his website or listened to his speeches, but I thought I’d get a clearer picture of his politics by looking at how the larger advocacy groups evaluate him. Here’s a summary of what I found in actions reported since March 1st of this year. Johnson was rated:

• 100% by the Independent Petroleum Association of America
• 100% by FreedomWorks, a Conservative, Libertarian group originally funded by the Koch Network
• 100% by The National Retail Federation
• 100% by The Coalition of Franchise Associations
• 97% and 84% by the Club for Growth, a Conservative Economic group focused on lowering taxes
• 92% by Americans for Prosperity, a Conservative, Libertarian group
• 90% and 72% by Heritage Action for America, a Conservative policy group
• 29% by NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
• 13% by Foreign Policy for America, a group focused on avoiding military conflicts
• 12% by the Humane Society Legislative Fund
• 4% by The Alliance for Retired Americans
• 2% by Progressive Punch
• 0% by the League of Conservation Voters, a pro-Environment group
• 0% by the American Federation of State, County & Municial Employees
• 0% by Planned Parenthood Action Fund
• 0% by National Education Association
• 0% by NORML, a marijuana legalization advocacy group
• 0% by Defenders of Wildlife.

Johnson came out strongly in support of Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, and in support of Israel’s war against Hamas, but despite his support for both issues, he initially refused to bring President Biden’s supplemental defense bill to a vote, although it passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support. He laid out conditions for an immigration package which, he said, had to be passed in parallel with the defense bill, but when the Senate passed a immigration bill that met nearly every condition laid out by Johnson, the heavy hand of Donald Trump intervened. Trump ordered Johnson and the entire MAGA crew to vote against it because he thought it would give him an advantage in the coming election, and he knew he needed Putin’s help to win in November.

This kind of prioritizing, which invariably places Trump’s self-interest ahead of everything else, is typical of Trump. What’s different, here, is that he is usually so successful at strewing chaos that he’s able to mask his true intent from most voters. This time, however, there can be no mistaking what is occurring.

Johnson’s speakership has been under siege by Trump’s minions since day one, with Marjorie Taylor Greene, (R, GA) spearheading the opposition. Greene is Trump’s principal agent of chaos, who has been heard virtually quoting Vladimir Putin’s propaganda, though it’s not clear that she either realizes it or cares. But as former Representative Adam Kinsinger (R, IL) said yesterday, Greene is persona non grata among mainstream Republicans, yet she has been able to wield enormous power until now.

Iran’s recent failed missile attack on Israel brought all this into sharp focus. America’s lawmakers have a clear choice: either submit to Donald Trump’s will or act in the best interests of America. Johnson wasn’t ready to break with Trump, so he traveled to Mar-a-lago and bent the knee to the wannabe dictator. But at the slightest sign that Johnson cared more about America than what Trump wanted, Trump did what he always does, and left Johnson hanging out to dry.

Johnson’s decision to finally bring the defense appropriation to a vote in the House, where it will surely pass, was in complete defiance of Trump and the MAGA terrorists. Whether or not he was influenced by the realization that Trump can never be trusted, I prefer to see his decision as an act of integrity, something we’ve seen far too little of in the House. I also agree with Nancy Pelosi (D, CA) that it was an act of true courage.

The German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Freidrich Hegel wrote that unlikely heroes always come along when their nations most need them. Could he have been anticipating someone like Mike Johnson?