The Claim: Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is a Democrat
“This isn’t a Republican speaker we have right now; this is a Democrat speaker. There is zero daylight between what Nancy Pelosi did … and what Mike Johnson is doing.”
– Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
The Facts
Greene’s claims at first glance seem difficult to square with reality. A 2016 sample ballot from northwestern Louisiana indicates that Johnson ran on the Republican line when he first sought and won a seat in Congress.
A contemporary news account from NOLA.com describing Johnson’s victory refers to him as “State Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Bossier City,” using a shorthand label traditionally associated with the Republican Party.
Once in Congress, Johnson voted for Republican President Donald Trump’s preferred position 93% of the time, according to data compiled by 538. By contrast, Pelosi, a Democrat, typically sought to distance herself from Trump.
“I would have punched him out,” she said. “I said I would have punched him out. I would have gone to jail. And I would have been happy to do so.”
As a member of the House, Johnson consistently earned “100%” ratings from the National Right to Life Committee while simultaneously receiving “0%” scores from Planned Parenthood, according to Vote Smart. These ratings indicate Johnson is opposed to recognizing a right to an abortion.
However, it appears Johnson’s position on abortion is at odds with the Democratic Party’s platform, which states, “Democrats believe every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion.”
Republicans took a different tack in 2020 regarding their platform, per a Fox News report headlined, “GOP announces no new 2020 platform, party to ‘enthusiastically support’ Trump agenda.”
Johnson seems to support this platform: He reportedly endorsed Trump’s bid to return to the White House and has also said he has calls with Trump “pretty frequently.”
President Joe Biden, who sources say was elected as a Democrat, has called Trump “a sick fuck” and a “fucking asshole.”
The available evidence, therefore, suggests that Johnson, who was elected House speaker last year with the support of Republicans, is a Republican.
However, Johnson’s tenure has fomented widespread chaos within the ranks of House Republicans that has made it more likely Democrats will win back control of the chamber in the November elections, if not sooner.
The official campaign arm of House Democrats said in a written statement last year that its mission is to “win 218 seats,” which would represent a majority in the House of Representatives. Johnson’s efforts to boost that mission point to the possibility that he may in fact be a Democrat.
Our Rating: Half True
