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SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE  |  OCTOBER 28, 2023

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The Rise of 'MAGA Mike'

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was a relative unknown before his election this week. 

 

“At this time yesterday, nobody was talking about Mike," President Donald Trump said on Oct. 25. "And then we put out the word, and now he’s the speaker of the House. I think he will be a great speaker. I think you are going to be very proud.”

 

It didn't take long for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to coin the nickname "MAGA Mike," for the new speaker.

 

As the man behind the move to oust the former speaker, Mr. Gaetz appeared eager to claim Mr. Johnson's election as a victory.

Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is sworn in at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Oct. 25, 2023. (Tom Brenner/AFP via Getty Images)

Is that accurate? 

 

There is evidence he may be a more traditional conservative, able to balance strict principles with the need to get things done.

 

One thing is for sure, Mr. Johnson checks all the conservative boxes.

 

Regarding gun violence, he said, "It’s not guns, it’s not the weapons. At the end of the day, we have to protect the right of the citizens to protect themselves and that’s the Second Amendment. And that’s why our party stands so strongly for that." Mr. Johnson added that the country needs to strengthen its approach to treating mental illness. 

 

On President Joe Biden’s record, Mr. Johnson said, "I think it's been a failed presidency and all the problems … here were caused by policy choices, and that's the problem I have with him.”

 

The new speaker is pro-life, a “Bible-believing Christian,” and opposes gender transition treatment for minors. 

 

Yet those positions don’t distinguish Mr. Johnson as that much more conservative compared to the Republican conference as a whole. 

 

“He is personally very conservative. But he's also made quite clear that he intends to lead the collective House Republican Conference, and that the moderates have felt very comfortable that they can work with him,” former Speaker Newt Gingrich, a contributor to the publication, told The Epoch Times.

 

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, scores the voting records of all members of Congress according to their adherence to conservative principles. The average House Republican score is 89 percent. Mr. Johnson’s lifetime score is 90 percent, hardly a significant difference. 

 

Swing district Republicans spoke well of Mr. Johnson upon his election. “He’s a humble man, has earned my trust, and will listen to the voices of those I represent in upstate N.Y.,” Rep. Mark Molinaro (R-N.Y.) wrote on X. 

 

“Speaker Mike Johnson is hardworking and smart, and I am confident that despite any differences we may have on policy, he is fully capable of unifying our conference and leading the House forward,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said.  

 

 “Mike is a strong leader who has the full support of our entire Conference,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said in a statement. “He is a great man and will make a great speaker.”

And he understands the need to compromise.

 

“Our people are losing their faith in government … I think we have to be mindful of that,” he said. “We're going to fight vigorously over our core principles because they're at odds a lot of times now in this modern era. We have to sacrifice sometimes our preferences because that's what's necessary in a legislative body.”

 

Speaking of hardliners who take an all-or-nothing approach to governing, Mr. Gingrich said, “I think some of these guys don't understand the concept of being effective.” Speaker Johnson’s voting record seems to indicate that he does. 

 

He voted for the agriculture appropriations bill, which was defeated when 27 Republicans voted against it. He voted in favor of the stop-gap funding bill that included spending cuts and increased border security but was defeated by 21 Republicans. He voted for Mr. McCarthy 15 times in the January speaker’s race and voted against his ouster in October. 

 

How long will this new GOP unity last? The first test may be President Biden’s request for some $105 billion in supplemental funding for Israel, Ukraine, allies in the Indo-Pacific region, and border security. 

 

“Can he hold tough and force them to take an Israel bill first, and then come back and do the other two?” Mr. Gingrich wondered. “These should be three different bills … and each should be subjected to a different standard.”

 

Appropriations will be another test. The speaker has said he intends to pass the remaining spending bills through the House and then negotiate with the Senate from “a position of strength.” 

 

But he left open the possibility that a second stop-gap funding bill may be needed. The first such bill led to the ouster of Mr. McCarthy. 

 

“The most colorful conservatives in our conference have indicated that they will provide Speaker Johnson quite a little bit more flexibility than was given to Speaker McCarthy,” Mr. Dusty Johnson told The Epoch Times. “Mike Johnson is going to have a real opportunity to bring this team together and get some conservative wins.”

 

What happens when he has to rely on Democrat votes to help pass a bill, like supplemental aid for Ukraine?

 

"I don't think we know,” Mr. Gingrich said.

To dig deeper into the subject, read the following original reporting by our journalists:

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