Mike Johnson says it’s “impossible” to think he’s full of hate because he’s a Christian

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has faced criticism since he was elected speaker of the House because of his history of extreme anti-LGBTQ+ statements and his work for an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group. Now he’s claiming that no one could possibly believe that he is full of hate because he’s a Christian.

Speaking on Fox News, Johnson said that there are “entire industries” built to “take down… effective political leaders like me,” and he lamented that people aren’t getting to know him as a person first.

“I’m not trying to establish Christianity as the national religion or something,” he said in a mocking tone. “That’s not what this is about.”

Get the Daily Brief The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you: Subscribe to our Newsletter

“If you truly believe in the Bible’s commands and you seek to follow those, it is impossible to be a hateful person!” he continued. “It’s the greatest command in the Bible that you love God with everything you have and you love your neighbor as yourself.”

Johnson: I'm not trying to establish christianity as the national religion, that is not what this is about. If you believe in the bible commands and seek to follow those, it is impossible to be hateful person. pic.twitter.com/ZX5hJEYLVZ — Acyn (@Acyn) October 31, 2023

Before he was elected to Congress, Johnson was senior legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, an SPLC-designated hate group. In his position at ADL, he filed briefs asking courts to allow states to criminalize homosexuality and argued against allowing same-sex couples to marry.

Johnson has previously said that same-sex marriage will lead to “chaos and sexual anarchy” and “place our entire democratic system in jeopardy by eroding its foundation.” He claimed legalizing same-sex marriage would lead to “pedophiles” seeking legal protections for having sex with kids and people trying to marry their pets. He has also said, “Homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural… ultimately harmful and costly for everyone.”

He has sought to criminalize private gay sex between consenting adults, called gay marriage the “harbinger of chaos,” and said gay people should not be a protected class because they “are capable of changing their abnormal lifestyles.”

Johnson recently said that such extreme statements were so banal to him that he doesn’t “even remember” them.

Johnson also removed 69 episodes of his and his wife’s podcast Truth Be Told With Mike and Kelly Johnson from his website. The pair dedicated June 2023 to praising anti-transgender activist Matt Walsh, who blamed the Club Q mass shooting on “men [who] crossdress in front of children” and said that he called for several boycotts of brands selling rainbow products this year in order to make the concept of Pride “toxic.” The Johnsons also got mad at Disney for “forcing a radical woke agenda” and “openly Satanic programming” on children.

Last year, Johnson introduced a federal version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law called the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act.” The bill threatens to cut federal funding to libraries, school districts, hospitals, government entities, or other organizations for “hosting or promoting any program, event, or literature involving sexually-oriented material,” including “any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related topics.”

His wife also runs a Christian counseling service that says that LGBTQ+ identities are “sexual immorality” comparable to bestiality and incest.

When questioned about his anti-LGBTQ+ views, Johnson said that his worldview was “Go pick up a Bible.”

“This is not about the people themselves. I am a Bible-believing Christian. Someone asked me today in the media, they said, ‘People are curious. What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?’ I said, well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it – that’s my worldview. That’s what I believe, and so I make no apologies for it.”

On X, many people weren’t buying Johnson’s claim that being commanded to love his neighbor means that he actually loves his neighbor.

Someone please introduce Johnson to Johnson, MTG, Boebert….. — 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐢 (@ChidiNwatu) October 31, 2023

Not trying to make it a national religion but is trying to force his religious beliefs on everyone. — The Raccfather 🦝🦝🦝 (@lucasj8) October 31, 2023

How rich. Mike Johnson is the epitome of a h8ful person! — Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) October 31, 2023

No it's definitely possible to be a hateful person and claim to be following the Bible's teachings lmao — Brad T. Casali (@btc2008) October 31, 2023

Marjorie Taylor Greene proves differently. 🙄 — Yasmine Mary, ARNP-FNP-C (@yazzy1967) October 31, 2023

Mike Johnson left out the part about how he does not at all follow what the Bible commands, he just uses the Bible as an alibi. — C-Bo the Eggman (@CBoTheEggman) October 31, 2023

Mike Johnson says if you believe in the Bible, you can’t be a hateful person.

THIS is pure hate. pic.twitter.com/daQD98CQjd — 15 Months Til Speaker Jeffries (@LynnoVen) October 31, 2023

Speaker Homophobe is absolutely a hateful person and he believes God has called on him to force his views on the rest of the country. Also, he's not even a good liar. — Art Martin (@gartmartin9) October 31, 2023

Oh. So he’s not going to try hard with every fiber of his being to strip LGBTQ people of their human rights? Phew! — Vlada Knowlton 🇺🇦 (@VladaKnowlton) October 31, 2023

40-odd years of personal experience with Bible-thumping self-proclaimed Christians has shown me very different. — Erin Go Blah (@cynical_ahole) October 31, 2023

Yeah, well….Republicans only *claim* to believe in the bible and seek to follow it. They don't actually do it. — BeaglesResist (@BeaglesResist) October 31, 2023