“Johnson Is a Christian Nationalist With a Far-Right Agenda”: Speaker Mike Johnson’s Hometown Newspaper Tells Him to “Cut the Games”

Michelle MeyerNov 16, 2023

Minute Read

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s hometown newspaper has issued a warning to him, emphasizing the editorial board’s anticipation for him to fulfill his pledge of steering the House back toward serving the interests of voters.

A Descent Into Chaos

Editorial credit: Jerome460 / Shutterstock.

The paper in question was The Advocate. Editors called for Johnson and House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise to stop including far-right “political riders” in their budget proposal as the countdown to a government shutdown continues to tick away.

Cut the Games

The editors wrote: “Cut the games. If you promise regular order, let’s see it in action. Johnson was wrong to push an emergency measure that tied aid to our ally Israel to a GOP hobbyhorse, cutting the Internal Revenue Service budget, as some anti-government Republicans want to do.”

Rejecting a Government Shutdown

The editors went on to remind Johnson that his state, Louisiana, would be severely affected by a government shutdown: “That just adds to the deficit, as it lets more high-income tax cheats defeat the system; for most of us, it just means the IRS can’t hire enough people to answer the darn phone. Our state is heavily dependent on federal spending in a multitude of ways, more so than many others. That’s one reason why Louisiana does not need a new government shutdown.”

A Young Earth Creationist

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.

Johnson has very quickly become a controversial figure in the political sphere. As a young Earth creationist, he believes that the planet is 6,000 years old and that Genesis is an accurate account of its early days. He also once referred to teaching evolution in public schools as “government abuse.” Given rising worries about Christian nationalism, many people are concerned about his political intentions.

The Faithful America Petition

Recently, Faithful America – an online Christian group – started a petition to have Johnson condemned as a false prophet, given his extreme views. The speaker once worked for a law firm that advocated for making homosexuality illegal and sterilizing transgender people.

A Bible-Believing Christian

In a more recent controversy, Johnson dodged questions about his views on birth control. When asked if he wanted to ban common types of birth control, he said: “Look, I’m pro-life. I’ve said very clearly I’m a Bible-believing Christian. I believe in the sanctity of every single human life.”

The Internet’s Response

News of The Advocate’s message for Johnson was shared across social media and people rushed to comment sections to give their views on the matter. For the most part, they called the speaker inexperienced and incompetent and referenced his election-denying past.

Criticizing the Republican Party

Others criticized the Republican Party as a whole, accusing it of putting Johnson in his position because he’d be easy to push around. Some people even said the party knew he wouldn’t be able to find a solution for the budget.

A MAGA Tool

One social media commenter said: “I have absolutely no confidence in Mr. Johnson’s ability to lead the House. He was a MAGA tool before he got elected speaker. This is the same guy who wants to cut Medicare and Social Security. Every bill passed by him has been a gimmick.”

Redirecting the Money

Another person wrote: “Republicans spend trillions on defense. Democrats spend trillions on social programs. It all comes out to the same amount of dollars spent each year. Don’t let anyone fool you that Mike will decrease spending. He will just redirect where it goes.”

Just Another Election Denier

Others used much stronger language: “He’s just another election-denying traitor Trump puppet who is in way over his head. They put him as speaker because he will be easy for them to manipulate. Should be in prison for his part catering to traitor Trump’s [lies].”

A Religious Zealot

Plenty of people said the GOP had done absolutely nothing for the people since regaining control of Congress: “They have accomplished nothing since regaining control of Congress except how to remove a lame duck speaker and gain a religious zealot.”

A Lamb Among Wolves

Quite a few commenters discussed Johnson’s lack of experience: “Johnson will not be effective as a speaker. Unfortunately, he does not have the experience or the knowledge, as a backbencher, to do the job. He is the lamb among wolves.”

The GOP’s Orange Saint

One person criticized the Republican Party’s loyalty to Donald Trump: “The GOP doesn’t have a clue about how to work for the people. They’re all too busy fighting to keep their party alive according to their orange saint.”

Leading the House Into Chaos

Another individual said: “Johnson was elected speaker by his party, knowing well that he cannot come up with a decent solution for the budget funding and will lead the House into chaos while they will blame the President and Senate for the failure.”

Republicans Cannot Govern

The commenter continued: “At the end, Johnson, as a backbencher, can be dropped on the sidewalk next to the garbage can at any convenient moment. Republicans cannot govern and do not wish to govern. Thing is, the chaos they create is not just affecting their political opponent, it has consequences for a large portion of the voters.”

An Unserious Clown

Others pointed out the significance of editors from a paper in Johnson’s hometown feeling like the message was necessary: “Nobody knows you like your own people and, apparently, Johnson’s own people know that he is an unserious clown who needs to be pressured into doing the right thing.”

A Christian Nationalist

Others said the speaker would never give up his far-right ideology: “Johnson is a Christian nationalist with a far-right agenda. He’s not going to give that agenda up because of a newspaper, unfortunately. The man is very bad news for the United States.”