“There Is No Difference Between Christian Nationalism and the Taliban”: Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger Hits Out at House Speaker Johnson’s Extremist Views

Michelle HollandNov 28, 2023

Minute Read

Former Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger has likened new House Speaker Mike Johnson to the Taliban extremists in Afghanistan. He also denounced Johnson’s close connection to and support of former president Donald Trump.

Mike Johnson’s Ideology

Johnson (R-LA) is one of the most far-right members of Congress and an evangelical Christian who spent his prior legal career advocating against the separation of church and state. He is strictly anti-abortion and in favor of the criminalization of homosexuality.

Christian Nationalism

Kinzinger panned the House speaker’s Christian nationalist views as equivalent to the militant Islamic extremist ideology espoused by the Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan since 2021 despite not being recognized internationally.

Controversial Comparisons

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On Bill Maher’s HBO show, Kinzinger stated: “Now the Republican guy sounds like bin Laden and Trump sounds like Hitler.” Donna Brazile countered: “But Mike Johnson, Speaker Mike Johnson, and, you know, I’ll let the congressman speak to his friend, but he may be quiet, but let me tell you what Trump called him: MAGA Mike.”

Rejecting Claims of Friendship

Kinzinger went on to deny that he and Johnson had ever been friends and shared that they’d only interacted on one occasion. He explained: “The only interaction I ever had with him, he was trying to get me to sign on to his Texas lawsuit. And I’m like dude, you obviously don’t know me, because I’m actually the one that’s saying your lawsuit is insane here.”

Sharia Law Similarities

He continued, “When you look at who the Taliban is and what the Taliban is all about, ‘Hey, we want to take Sharia law, this thing that we believe, and we want to religiously implement this into our government.’ There is no difference between Christian nationalism, which is what he’s representing, and the Taliban.”

“A Government Run on Religion”

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Kinzinger concluded, “Maybe the end is different, maybe the means are different, than the Taliban… but there’s no difference in saying this is a government run on religion.”

Johnson’s Election

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Johnson was elected to the role of speaker in October following the expulsion of Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who relied on Democratic support to fund the government and avoid a federal shutdown. Johnson has received widespread attention and coverage for his extreme views, which have concerned moderates, liberals, and progressives all across the country.

Separation of Church and State

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Johnson has insisted that the separation of church and state was not integral to the formation of the United States, despite it being a primary concern of the Founding Fathers. His desire to see the U.S. become a theocracy, with its laws informed by Christian doctrine, underpin comparisons to the Taliban.

A Worrying Pattern

The election of Johnson to the House speaker role indicates a rightward trend within the Republican Party and the country as a whole, with former Republican lawmakers, such as Kinzinger, being among the many critics of this growing pattern. Kinzinger previously called out Marjorie Taylor Greene for transphobia and has been outspoken about the party shifting further right.

Agreement With Kinzinger

Many people online agreed with Kinzinger’s assessment and also drew parallels between Johnson and the Taliban. In response to Johnson’s declarations that the “depraved” U.S. “deserves God’s wrath,” one forum user wrote: “So the Speaker of the House has the same opinions about America as the Taliban?”

“Taliban Style Theocrats”

Another poster referred to the system Johnson uses to monitor his son’s consumption of adult films as “Taliban spyware,” whereas someone else criticized Republican voters for “electing Taliban style theocrats” such as Johnson.

Hypocritical Evangelicals

Others called out Johnson and other evangelicals for being selective in their application of Bible doctrine. One contributor stated: “For someone as devout as Johnson claims, he is awfully oblivious to the 4th commandment “you shall not use the Lord your God’s name in vain.” Being an election denier, he is also guilty of breaking the 9th commandment “you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Johnson’s LGBTQ+ Obsession

Discussing Johnson’s opinion that America’s growing LGBTQ+ population is “dark and depraved,” one contributor declared, “Once again he is OBSESSED with gay/LGBTQ people and what they do in the bedroom.” Someone else replied, “I grew up evangelical. These people want CONTROL. They are pathological in their desire to control other people.”

Not a Real Christian

Another contributor argued that Johnson “is not a Christian, he’s a Judgementalist,” prompting someone to retaliate that it “doesn’t matter what brand of religion he exercises or believes in, it’s just a vehicle for fascism.”

“Sordid Christo-Fascist Proclivities”

Addressing Johnson’s claim that Americans ‘misunderstand’ the meaning of separation of church and state, one user declared: “Translation: I’ve perverted separation of church and state to suit my most sordid Christo-Fascist proclivities.”

A Wannabe Dictator

Another forum member concurred, referring to Johnson and his allies as “Christo-Fascist dictator wannabees,” adding that “religion is very dangerous when it gets absolute power. Look at history as to what will happen next.”

Misunderstanding the Constitution

To Johnson’s remarks, one individual retorted: “Americans say Mike Johnson misunderstands every word in the Constitution.” Another person highlighted Johnson’s inconsistency, commenting: “So separation of church and state is a misnomer but right to bear arms rings,” concluding that Johnson and the GOP “just pick and choose” based on their agendas.