Mike Johnson Advocates for Civility while Supporting Trump | Vanity Fair

Written by Pablo Manríquez

Jodey Arrington, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Mike Johnson, on a visit to Israel in 2017, undertook a late-night journey to locate the spot where, according to biblical accounts, David conquered Goliath in the Valley of Elah. Arrington, a Texas Republican who met Johnson at their orientation to Congress in 2016, nostalgically recalls the experience. Fitzpatrick, as current chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Intelligence, remembers how Johnson used the light from his cell phone to guide their progress using bible verses. "We found the field where David gathered stones”, recounts Fitzpatrick, mentioning how they too collected stones and later handed them to rabbis in their respective districts while briefing them about Israel.

At that time, Johnson's god-guided navigation might seem striking, but he was a relatively unknown congressman. However, on October 25, following a short, acrimonious battle over the succession of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Johnson became the new favorite and was elected by a unanimous House GOP, with a vote count of 220 to 209.

Matt Gaetz, a rebellious Florida Republican whose schemes led to McCarthy's expulsion, disclosed to Vanity Fair that Lauren Boebert provided the first endorsement for Johnson. Gaetz reminisces about the heated meeting where McCarthy shouted 'You're out of order' at Boebert. Representative Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican who voted in favor of McCarthy's removal, confirmed McCarthy's sole protest. Boebert detailed her early support for Johnson during the unstable GOP meet-ups subsequent to McCarthy's removal.

In Johnson's initial year as House member in 2017, he caught Arrington's eye by formulating a "Pledge of Civility" that was signed by 46 new members. Johnson has always tried to inject respect and unity into congressional affairs, as confirmed by Arrington. Johnson often reminisces about their inaugural meeting during House freshman retreat in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Nanette Barragán, a Democrat, shares the same recollections about the meeting and Johnson's commitment to civility.

Seven years post his civility pledge initiative, Johnson is known to many for being one of the least experienced Speakers ever elected (second only to John G. Carlisle who won the position in 1883). He is also recognized for his radical viewpoints on abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, evolution, the separation of church and state, and climate science.

Johnson is widely known for his attempts to retract the 2020 election results. His protest against the confirmation of Joe Biden's presidency was based on a far-right legal argument; it stated that only the states can determine federal election rules—not Congress. Jaime Raskin, a Maryland Democrat who counter-argued against Johnson's effort to annul Biden's presidency, opined: "Johnson possesses abundant humility, politeness, and Southern charm but unfortunately, disregards the basic principles of the Constitution."

Despite suggestions to the contrary, Johnson declines to confirm Biden's victory in the 2020 election. In a recent conversation with CBS's Margaret Brennan, Johnson dismissed allegations that he is denying the election results. When asked by Vanity Fair whether he believes Biden’s presidency is God’s will, Johnson hesitated before responding, "God is the one that allows people to be raised up in authority," adding that if that is the case, then it must have been God’s will. However, he then called for a political shift in the upcoming November election.

Johnsons’ grasp on his position is seemingly shaky three months into office due to legislative complications and growing discontent among Republicans with his leadership. On a recent Wednesday, Johnson and Biden joined leaders from both parties to discuss potential bipartisan solutions for restrictive immigration policies. These policies are aimed at garnering Republican support for funding Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia. The idea has received lukewarm support on Capitol Hill, with some Republicans, like freshman Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio, doubting Biden’s unrestricted backing for Ukraine.

Ukraine's funding is part of a $100 billion foreign aid request for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan proposed by Biden to Congress in October. The Republican party divided Biden's request into separate spending bills and employed a clause to divert money from the Internal Revenue Service for the first spending bill for Israel. However, this move from the House GOP contradicts Johnson's fiscal conservatism, as an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office shows the bill would result in a $12.5 billion deficit by 2033.

Republicans in the Senate demanded tougher immigration policies to release the funds for Ukraine. Johnson has neither definitively supported nor opposed any bill resulting from Senate negotiations. During an interview after his January trip to the Texas-Mexico border, Fox News asked Johnson about the silence along the Rio Grande. He replied, "It illustrates that this could be turned off like a spigot at any time," and acknowledged the role of Mexican cartels and government.

Johnson's Republican Majority in the House is the smallest since 1917, a factor he recurrently acknowledges. Now, he is facing criticism from the right-wing extremists in his party. GOP representatives Chip Roy and Marjorie Taylor Greene have reportedly started suggesting the possibility of removing Johnson from his position.

Throughout his tenure, Johnson has projected consistently high aspirations while also offering his colleagues unyielding courtesy. According to María Elvira Salazar, a Florida representative, she was unaware of Johnson before his successful Speaker campaign. However, upon getting to know him, Salazar, a born-again Christian, found shared commonalities. Salazar emphasized the importance of faith, stating her belief in supernatural intervention amidst the challenges posed by their thin majority.

To survive, Johnson will need to prove to his House colleagues that he’s neither an empty suit for the party he leads nor an empty vessel for the Almighty he serves. “I’m also a conservative hard-liner; that’s been my entire career in Congress,” said Johnson in a recent interview with Fox News. “But remember, we have a two-vote margin … in the House. We have to work with the numbers we have.” That might not be enough to save his speakership from his own party’s far-right flank.