Mike Johnson says he can’t be ‘a hateful person’ because he is a Christian
Johnson says that he can’t be a hateful person because of his Christian values. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Newly-elected Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has insisted that there’s no way he could be a “hateful person” because he is a Christian.
Since being voted into the powerful position by his fellow House members, Johnson has faced heavy criticism for his history of extreme far-right views on LGBTQ+ issues, climate change, and abortion.
Despite the evidence stacked up against him, Johnson has insisted that, because of his religion, he can’t be a hateful person.
Speaking to Fox News, Johnson said that felt there were “entire industries” built to take down “effective political leaders like me”, and that he wishes they “would get to know [him].”
“I’m not trying to establish Christianity as the national religion or something,” he said. “That’s not what this is about.”
“If you truly believe in the Bible’s commands and you seek to follow those, it is impossible to be a hateful person.
“The greatest command in the Bible is that you love God with everything you have and you love your neighbor as yourself.”
Just to recap, before Johnson was elected to US Congress, he was a senior member of the Alliance Defencing Freedom (ADL), an SPLC-designated hate group.
As legal council for the ADL in 2004, he campaigned in front of the state supreme court to defend the Louisiana Marriage Amendment and “protect marriage as the union of a man and a woman.”
In a 2004 opinion piece, he described same-sex couples as “inherently unnatural” and “harmful and costly for everyone.”
In the same piece, he also compared homosexual relationships to paedophilia.
Johnson has since said that he doesn’t “even remember” making these comments.
He also held a leadership position in the Southern Baptist Convention – part of an extremely conservative, anti-LGBTQ+ church.
More recently, Johnson was among those who campaigned for the overturning of Roe v Wade, describing the once constitutional ruling as giving cover “to the elective killing of unborn children in America.”
This July, at a hearing on transgender youth, Johnson said that “a parent has no right to sexually transition a young child”.
He added, according to the Louisiana Illuminator: “Our American legal system recognises the important public interest in protecting children from abuse and physical harm. No parent has a constitutional right to injure their children.”
Johnson and his wife Kelly are co-hosts of the podcast Truth Be Told, in which they share their world views. In one episode of the audio series, he referred to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney as “real sick stuff.”
Before all 69 episodes of the series have recently been taken down from his website, one episode heard by Gambit caught Mike and Kelly praise anti-trans activist Matt Walsh, who had infamously blamed the Club Q mass shooting on “men [who] crossdress in front of children.”
In another episode, the couple lashed out at Disney for “forcing a radical woke agenda” and “openly Satanic programming” on children.
So, let’s just say not too many people are buying Johnson’s latest “not a hateful person” claims.
Reacting to Johnson’s latest interview, one viewer commented: “How rich. Mike Johnson is the epitome of a h8ful person!”
“No it’s definitely possible to be a hateful person and claim to be following the Bible’s teachings lmao,” wrote a second.
“Oh. So he’s not going to try hard with every fiber of his being to strip LGBTQ people of their human rights? Phew!” teased a third.
And a fourth wrote: “Johnson: I’m not hateful. I just want to outlaw all the groups I don’t approve of.”
