Donald Trump anointed Louisiana’s Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House with a Truth Social posting:
“I am not going to make an Endorsement in this race, because I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory. My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson.”
Don’t believe those who label Johnson a moderate. He even looks moderate. Nonetheless, he is every bit as crazy as Jim Jordan. He’s simply less obnoxious publicly. Moderate Republicans don’t have a 91.7% CPAC lifetime rating (here’s his not moderate voting record); they are not persistent and enthusiastic 2020 election deniers; they don’t write Twitter/X posts like the one below supporting the impeachment of President Biden; they don’t vote against bills requiring health insurance companies to cover congenital anomalies (and yes, Johnson’s a strident right-to-lifer who voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act); they don’t absolutely worship Jim Jordan (see @RepMikeJohnson); they don’t spread conspiracy theories; and they don’t sanctify the satanic Donald Trump. In short, Mike Johnson is a dedicated and therefore crazy, far right-wing MAGAite who will appear to many Americans to be an old-fashioned Republican moderate. Don’t be fooled. Johnson is quite crazy enough to be an acceptable Speaker. Should he win the Speaker’s gavel, he will be a Mini Jim Jordan . . .