Is Mike Johnson Saving America or Selling Out?

Much debate is arising around House Speaker Mike Johnson’s actions, indicating that he has sold out to the establishment. While many are speculating that Speaker Johnson is playing politics to achieve a greater good, the reality is that he has gone back on his word, broken House rules, and supported unconstitutional legislation.

As a result of Johnson’s diversion from his oath to protect and uphold the Constitution, Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) has threatened a motion to vacate the chair, a proposition that Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) have thrown their support behind.

Even Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) revealed on Fox News his disdain for Mike Johnson’s actions, saying, “As I see it now, I’m not so sure there’s a difference between Mike Johnson being in charge and Democrats being in charge. . . People have to be strong in their convictions. He was seen as a conservative before he came to the speakership…but now he’s completely changed and lost all his principles.”

How We Got Here

It is important to consider the reasons why Mike Johnson’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted as Speaker to understand Johnson’s current crisis. As reported by The New American in January 2023, McCarthy made a crucial list of concessions that allowed him to gain the reins of power in the House, which he inevitably broke, leading to his removal.

A few of the concessions McCarthy made, which were projected upon his successor, included possible spending cuts; voting on the Texas border plan; investigating the weaponizing of federal agencies; restoring the Holman Rule; allowing 72 hours for representatives to read bills before voting; and no more omnibus spending bills.

What Went Wrong?

After five months as speaker, Mike Johnson has explicitly broken two rules that he inherited: the 72-hour rule allowing for representatives to read legislation before passing it, and no omnibus spending bills.

Last month, the House approved a $1.2 trillion, 1,012-page federal spending “minibus” bill for fiscal 2024. The bill was released slightly before 3:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, March 21, and was passed right before the midnight deadline on Friday, March 22, smashing two rules in one blow.

More recently, Mike Johnson shocked conservatives with his support of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is directly against the 4^th Amendment, allowing the FBI to spy on Americans without a warrant. When asked by reporters about his change of heart on FISA, Johnson responded, “As a member of the Judiciary [Committee], I saw the abuses of the FBI that were terrible, terrible abuses, hundreds of thousands of abuses. And then, when I became speaker, I went to the SCIF and got the confidential briefing from the other perspective on that the necessity of Section 702 of FISA and how important it is for national security. It gave me a different perspective.”

The legislation reauthorizing the act was signed into law by President Biden last week.

Speculations and Theories

Many supporters of President Trump were confused to hear the former POTUS offer praise for Speaker Johnson shortly after the FISA fiasco, as President Trump claims that his campaign was spied on because of unconstitutional surveillance laws. However, Trump complimented Johnson, spurring theories that the two are collaborating behind the scenes, saying, “It’s not an easy situation for any speaker; I think he’s doing a very good job, and he’s doing about as good as you’re going to do.”