Introduction: Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has caused controversy with his remarks, which endorse Christian Nationalism and a conservative view of American history derived from the Founders’ Constitution. He notably avoids contemporary issues such as climate change and nuclear war, instead focusing on the national debt. Accusations of dishonesty and participation in the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election have been leveled against Johnson. His discourse was construed to demonstrate a disregard for the Reconstruction Amendments that expanded rights to marginalized groups. His position may, however, aid Democrats in future elections..

After listening to him give his opening remarks before being sworn in as speaker, I found a text copy of his speech. I’ve reviewed the text and pulled five quotes highlighting some of his ideas. I followed his statement with a short discussion.

White Christian Nationalism

Near the beginning of his speech, Mr. Johnson let it known that he and others in positions of leadership were “raised up” by god. He’s what he said:

I want to tell all my colleagues here what I said to the Republicans in that room last night. I don’t believe there are any coincidences in a matter like this. I believe that scripture, the Bible, is very clear. That God is the one that raises up those in authority. He raised up each of you—all of us. And I believe God has ordained and allowed us to be brought here for this specific time. This is my belief. I believe each of us has a huge responsibility today to use God’s gifts to serve the extraordinary people of this great American country. And they deserve it.

Mike Johnson, Speaker’s First Speech to the House, October 25, 2023

You claim that god raised you up to be a U.S. Representative. You might believe that. But, to get into the House, you need to be elected by people in your very large congressional district, LA 4, which runs from I-20 down to I-10. People in District 4 voted for you. No one called you, least of all god. Do you think that god is only on the side of the winners of our elections?

So, Mike, let’s agree that representatives get to sit with you through the hallmark of a democracy, which is free and fair elections open to all citizens of the United States because of post-Civil War Amendments. You must fess up and answer the reporter’s question about your efforts to overturn the last election. Those with you booed the reporter, and one of them (Virginia Foxx (R-NC) told the reporter to “shut up,” twice.

When you evoke god as you did in your speech, you are identifying yourself as a Christian Nationalist. Andrew Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry are scholars who explore American idolatry and how Christian nationalism betrays the Gospel and threatens the church. They conclude that your statements indicate that “you show a strong embrace of the ethos of Christian nationalism” (Andrew Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry, The Christian Nationalism of Speaker Mike Johnson, Time, 10/28/23).

Old America’s Creed

What is our creed? “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” Not born equal. Created equal. And they’re endowed by the same “inalienable rights, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.” That is the creed that has animated our nation since its founding and made us the great nation we are.

Mike Johnson, Speaker’s Speech

Not born equal. Created equal. This is the creed of the Founders Constitution, not our current Constitution. It was the creed of the colonists who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Only white men were created equal. Women, Blacks, and Native Peoples were not included as equals by the founders. As Speaker, Johnson should read and try to comprehend the 14th and 19th Amendments. The 14th Amendment (1868) granted citizenship to all persons born (not created) or naturalized in the United States. The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote (1920). Mr. Johnson should also take note that the 14th Amendment, Section 3, banned anyone from holding office taking part in or supporting an insurrection, such as the Civil War and January 6th. I believe it could be construed that you gave favor to Trump’s failed coup d’état.

Existential Threats

The greatest threat to our national security is our nation’s debt. While we’ve been sitting in this room, the debt has crossed almost $33.6 trillion. And the time it will take me to deliver this speech will go up another $20 million in debt. It’s unsustainable. We have to get the country back on track. We know this will be challenging, and tough decisions must be made. The consequences, if we don’t act now, are unbearable.

Mike Johnson

The national debt stands at $33 trillion. It isn’t, however, the greatest threat to National security. Using the literature of scholars, some politicians, and activists, the most severe threat to not only our safety but all other nations is climate change and nuclear war. The earth’s climate has warmed so much that we are witnessing the hottest summers, longer and more severe fire seasons, and more extreme weather. The United States and Russia possess 90% of nuclear weapons and launch vehicles. Both countries are spending billions on advanced nuclear weaponry and launch vehicles. The other six nuclear club countries are doing the same. We need to confront climate change by eliminating fossil fuel usage. Nuclear weapons need to be eliminated from the earth. Talk about these issues, Mr. Speaker, and then talk about what you think is the greatest threat to National security.

Look to the Reconstruction Amendments for America’s Core Principles not the Founders Conservative Core Principles

And that’s the same great things that have guided our nation since its founding. What are those great things? I call them the seven core principles of American conservatism. But I think it is quintessentially the core principle of our nation. I boil them down to individual freedom, limited government, the rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and human dignity. Those are the foundations that made us the extraordinary nation that we are. And you and I today are the stewards of those principles.

Mike Johnson, Speaker’s Speech

American conservatism’s seven principles, according to Mr. Johnson, need to be revised. I’ve been reading Kermit Roosevelt’s book, The National That Never Was. Here is what he suggests are American values and their origin.

What I am saying, however, is that our American values come from the Civil War and Reconstruction, and those happened because of slavery and Black Americans. It was the fight against slavery that inspired people to reinterpret the Declaration into the American ideals expressed in the Gettysburg Address. And it was the participation of Black Americans in that fight that made those ideals become law in the Reconstruction Amendments. As Nikole Hannah-Jones writes, Black Americans have never been the problem; they have been the solution.

Roosevelt III, Kermit. The Nation That Never Was (p. 173). University of Chicago Press. Kindle Edition.

The

The Founders’ Constitution (Roosevelt, p. 164) was about hypothetical people (created), whereas the Reconstruction Constitution (Roosevelt, p. 126) is about real people, and they possess legal rights. Unlike the Founders, the new Constitution makes it clear that there are no outsiders (women, Blacks, and Native Peoples). Everyone is an insider, and we are genuinely “We the people—all the people.” The core principles of conservativism come from the Founders and do not represent the current values that underscore American society. For example, Johnson’s use of individual freedom comes from Jefferson’s Declaration (Johnson, p.104). And Jefferson’s core principle has nothing to do with equality. Instead, it is about independence—the right of people to do what they want and separate themselves from the larger political order.

Honesty and Integrity, Give us a break!

I want to make this commitment to you, to my colleagues here and on the other side of the aisle as well. My office will be known for trust and transparency and accountability. For good stewardship of the people’s treasure. For the honesty and integrity that is incumbent upon us, all of us here in the people’s House.

Mike Johnson, Speaker’s Speech

It is difficult for me to read this statement, and then think about the events leading up to the January 6th insurrection. There was no honesty or integrity in Mr. Johnson’s participation in trying to overturn the 2020 election. One of the acts he directed was soliciting fellow Congressional Republicans to sign on to a legal brief in support of a Texas lawsuit. The suit tried to throw out the results of elections in four states that Joe Biden won. Johnson also led the charge in the House to get Republicans to vote against certifying Mr. Biden’s victory on January 6, 2021. Johnson also was a proponent of allegations that the Dominion voting machines were rigged against Trump. As I wrote earlier in this post, Johnson has not come forward to say what he believes about the results of the 2020 election. Does he still think Trump won in a landslide?

Next?

A friend, Stuart Brewster, former senior editor of the Innovative Division of Addison-Wesley Publishing, said having Mike Johnson as Speaker isn’t all bad. His constant presence in the spotlight may help Democrats re-take control of the House. Stuart is an intelligent man, and I think he is correct.