Post Mar-a-Lago, Mike Johnson seems a different person

In early April, facing a battle over retaining his Speakership, Mike Johnson went to visit former President Trump at his Florida estate to seek his support. It would appear that Trump gave his blessing to the Speaker in return for Johnson’s more vociferous expression of unswerving loyalty to him. Johnson now seems almost like a different person.

While Speaker Johnson tended to stay in the background while getting accustomed to his new position, recently he has been asserting himself aggressively. Later in April, he came, uninvited, to Columbia University where he spoke out against student protesters and called for the National Guard to be brought in to put down the anti-semitic violence (there was none). Appearing at former President Trump’s trial in NYC with a scrum of Republican officials (all nearly identically dressed), he gave a short speech denouncing the trial and misrepresenting the facts. Then, after the verdict was announced, without any supporting evidence he called the trial “a severe miscarriage of justice” and said the Supreme Court should completely overrule the verdict. Did Johnson realize that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction in the matter even though he remarked that a couple of them were his personal friends?

Although elected Speaker by the House of Representatives last October, he remains little known by the American public or even most of his fellow members of Congress. Who is he and what can we expect from him?

In the running for Speaker, Mike Johnson was a “dark horse”; In his 8 months as Speaker, Johnson has shown considerable dexterity in working with his very fractious and uncooperative Republican majority, brushing away an attempt to remove him from his post yet shepherding through major bills providing military aid to Israel and Ukraine, a notable accomplishment.

A mild mannered 52 year old lawyer, Johnson grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, where his father was a fireman. He graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1995 and its Law School in 1999.

His record over the past four terms as a member of Congress has been consistently right of center. While nearly always voting with the majority of Republicans, he had never led a powerful committee or served in the top tier of House leadership.

However, last year, while serving on the House Armed Services Committee, he led 59 other Republicans in a vote against a 39 billion aid package for Ukraine, a move endorsed by former President Trump. In the past, Republicans have been very slow to back away from foreign commitments and this may represent a real change in GOP foreign policy.

A devout evangelical Southern Baptist, the Speaker is known for his outspoken religiosity having spent much of his time over the past two decades extolling his faith through articles and lectures. Johnson’s religious beliefs have strongly influenced his political views. A confirmed foe of abortion, he has been pushing for a total abortion ban with no permitted exceptions.

He has also spoken out sharply against homosexuality, calling it “inherently unnatural” and a “dangerous lifestyle” and linking it to bestiality, according to opinion essays and interviews. And he opposed legislation to mandate federal recognition for same-sex marriages — a bill that passed with strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

The Speaker has an environmental record even less favorable than most of his Republican colleagues. The League of Conservation Voters, the principal environmental group monitoring voting records of members of Congress has given Johnson a lifetime rating of 2% out of a possible 100% (the average score for a Member of Congress is 52%). But the American Energy Alliance, which represents fossil fuel interests, gave him a score of 100% in 2022. Johnson called the energy components of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act “a thinly veiled attempt to implement the policies that would usher in a new socialist society in America”.

Some observers think that Johnson is competing to be selected as Trump’s running mate. John Nance Garner FDR’s vice president from 1932-40, is remembered for saying that “the vice presidency is not worth a bucket of warm spit!” Trump may lose and the Republicans may lose the House but for now as long as he remains untroubled by his own shameless obsequiousness, Johnson remains in the catbird seat, the highest ranking Republican in government.


Architect and landscape designer Mac Gordon lives in Lakeville.

Latest News

Luigina A. Dzenutis

CANTON — Luigina A. Dzenutis, 91, of Canton, died peacefully on Jan. 16, 2025, in her home. She was the wife of the late Peter A. Dzenutis Sr.

Luigina was born in Bronx, New York, on May 17, 1933, the daughter of the late Jack and Medie (Tonelli) Grecco.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Francis ‘Frank’ McNally

MILLERTON — Donald Francis “Frank” McNally Jr., passed away peacefully at Vassar Brothers Medical Center on Wednesday Jan. 8, 2025, after a short illness. Frank was a resident of Millerton since 1996. He was born on Jan. 27, 1955, in Cold Spring, New York, at Butterfield Hospital and was raised in Garrison, New York, where he enjoyed exploring and camping in the wilderness of the Hudson Valley, participating in the Boy Scouts as a bugler, and competing as captain of his high school wrestling team.

He was a graduate of James I. O’Neill High School in Highland Falls class of ‘74 and SUNY Cobleskill class of ‘76 where he majored in animal husbandry, specializing in equine science. He then proudly volunteered for the United States Peace Corps where he accepted an assignment to his host country of the Philippines, where he met his wife. Frank would then pursue his lifelong passion for horses and horseback riding on several horse farms in Dutchess County. Later he would work for New York state where he would then retire, spending his time caring for animals, reading, fishing and taking photographs. Frank enjoyed a good laugh with family and friends, while also occasionally winning a game of RISK. Frank was an avid reader, often reading several books a week while in the constant company of his cat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Florence Eugenia Cooper

NORFOLK — Florence Eugenia Cooper died on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at the age of 92 at Geer Lodge in Canaan, Connecticut where she had been a resident for 2 ½ years. She also spent a couple of days a week at the home of her daughter, the artist Hilary Cooper and her husband Chris Crowley, in Lakeville.

Florence (neé Muhas) was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Greek immigrants. She went to local public schools and then to college at Barnard where she was mentored by Professor of Religion Ursula Niebuhr, wife of the philosopher Reinhold Niebuhr, who urged her to go to her alma mater St Hugh’s College, Oxford University where she earned a D. Phil degree. Later, she received an M.A. in foreign policy with a specialty in China, at the London School of Economics.

Keep ReadingShow less
Frederick Ralph Scoville II

WEST CORNWALL — Frederick Ralph Scoville II, 72, of 243 Town St., died Jan. 7, 2025, at the Waterbury Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Fred was the husband of 45 years to Lynn (Pollard) Scoville. Fred was born in Torrington, son of the late Ralph and Thalia (Hicock) Scoville.

Fred spent his whole life in West Cornwall. He attended Cornwall Consolidated and Housatonic Valley Regional High School. The only time he left was to attend the University of Connecticut for animal science. After school he came home to work with his father on the family farm taking over full-time in 1996 milking dairy cattle and selling hay. His life passion was the farm. He could always be found tinkering on equipment or surveying the neighborhood on his golf cart. The only thing that rivaled the farm was his love of his family. His wife, sons, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren meant the world to Fred.

Keep ReadingShow less