Homophobe, pro-life… Who is Mike Johnson, the new “Speaker” of the House of Representatives?

In his X (ex-Twitter) bio, he introduces himself as “Christian, Husband, Father, Featured Since 2017.” Word order matters. “The Bible is very clear that God is one who exalts those in power. He raised every one of you, all of us,” Mike Johnson said Wednesday night during his first speech as House speaker.

As far-right Republicans engineered the downfall of Kevin McCarthy, the man responsible for the federal budget compromise with President Biden, divine will does not appear to have quieted the debate in the House of Representatives. The four voices followed each other in exhausting confusion in search of something that would unite the opposites of a bitterly divided Conservative Party.

His wife Kelly “spent the last two weeks in prayer”

On Monday night, as a last chance after three unsuccessful elections, House Republicans heard from eight candidates behind closed doors. Then on Tuesday, vote after vote eliminated those who did not suit them. Against the backdrop of general gloom, Johnson’s candidacy arose completely unexpectedly. “A friend to all, an enemy to none,” introduced Elise Stefanik, an elected official from New York State.

The 51-year-old Louisiana representative was elected to Congress just six years ago. He is the least experienced of the orators, but he is no less determined to use his mandate to shape America according to his ideals. Side-parted Mike Johnson, youthful-faced despite a tendency to gray at the temples, was first a lawyer. In the mid-2000s, he worked for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a highly influential lobby of evangelical lawyers that tries to inject its religious principles into the federal government, public schools and society more broadly. No abortion, no same-sex marriage, no debate about gender identity or euthanasia… In their honor roll, ADF lawyers recently included Mississippi’s anti-abortion law, which led the Supreme Court to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case in June. 2022, violating the right of choice of millions of women acquired 50 years earlier. “God bless us” for the decision, Johnson greeted at the time.

A second-rate elected official who doesn’t want to upset anyone.

In recordings discovered by CNN, the father of four called homosexuality “inherently unnatural.” In a 2004 post when the cities of San Francisco and Portland took over, Johnson wrote that allowing same-sex marriage “would require doing the same for every deviant group.” Polygamists, polyamorists, and pedophiles will demand the same protection. There will no longer be any legal basis for refusing someone to marry their pet.”

Selectman Johnson did not play a leading role. He co-sponsored anti-abortion and anti-LGBT bills, but was never a leader. Nothing but zealous support, moving forward, without distracting anyone from the vicissitudes of Washington. A supporter of Donald Trump, he was among 147 who attempted to legally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and then opposed the certification of the results on January 6, 2021.

He continues to denounce the legal proceedings brought against his defense attorney, sometimes on a podcast hosted by his wife. Kelly Lary, a pro-life activist, founded a practice in which she provides “biblical individual, marriage, and marriage counseling.” She “spent the last two weeks on my knees, praying to the Lord, and I’m a little tired,” her husband said without irony after her victory.

On Monday, at a meeting in New Hampshire, Donald Trump spoke about the impossibility of electing a speaker as follows: “There is only one person who can make it happen, you know who? Jesus Christ.” Johnson, who believes his mandate comes from divine will, may believe that he will walk on water.