POLITICS
House Speaker Mike Johnson: one of Trump’s main backers to run for president in 2024
The new Speaker for the House of Representatives’ support for the former president would be strange considering his religious views and Trump’s past.
With just under a year until the next election, the Republican party race for their presidential candidate is hotting up. Debates have been fiery, names have dropped out, and funding has increased.
But none of the challengers are coming anywhere near former president Donald Trump in polling. He has nearly 60% aggregate support, a lead that has actually been increased despite his refusal to take part in the tit-for-tat debates.
He has another announced supporter, new Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson.
“I’m all in for President Trump, I expect he’ll be our nominee, and he’s going to win it, and we have to make [Joe Biden] a one-term president. We have to do that,” Johnson, told CNBC.
Johnson supporting Trump should come as no surprise. He represented Trump as part of his legal team in both impeachment trials.
Johnson’s support of Trump extends beyond his legal backing
As a member of the Christian right faction, Johnson supports ‘traditional’ values. In practice, this means he supports a nation-wide abortion ban and is an opponent of LGBT rights.
He has argued that same-sex marriage would lead to bestiality and described himself as supportive of “discrimination” against gay people. In a 2003 article he attacked the ending of sodomy laws in the US.
During his time in office, Trump supported these positions. He pledged to nominate conservative judges to the Supreme Court who would be likely to uphold conservative values such as opposition to abortion. Another significant move for the Christian right was Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem resonated with many evangelicals who view the state of Israel as significant in biblical prophecy.
According to Evangelical interpretations, the reestablishment of Israel is a key sign of the end times, and events such as the rapture, tribulation, and the second coming of Christ are closely tied to the fate of Israel.