Mike Who? The Latest Speaker
In his own words: An Analysis of Representative Mike Johnson’s Official E-Newsletters
Mike Johnson, representing Louisiana’s 4th Congressional district, is emerging as a potential Republican nominee for Speaker of the House. Although not widely recognized on a national scale, his past roles within the party could position him as a compelling pick amidst the divided House Republicans. With his unopposed election to a fourth congressional term, Johnson can shift his attention to broader chamber issues instead of reelection campaigns. Furthermore, in 2022, he was unanimously chosen for a second term as the Vice Chairman of the House Republicans, meaning everyone has voted for him in some leadership position.
Who exactly is Mike Johnson? To understand him beyond standard online sources, I relied on his direct, official communications to his constituents. These are accessible on DCinbox.com. I examined his communication style, content, and his positions on key topics like abortion, immigration, Trump, Ukraine, and Israel.
In the age of digital media, official e-newsletters are one of the primary ways elected officials communicate with their constituents. They can talk about virtually anything, except asking for votes or money which must happen through campaign communications. Through these e-newsletters, representatives update their constituents on legislative actions, in district happenings, and shed light on their priorities, values, and political goals.
How does Rep. Johnson communicate? He titles his newsletter “The Liberty Letter.” At the beginning of each edition, he expresses gratitude to his subscribers and encourages them to recommend the newsletter to others. Each issue typically covers four main sections:
IN THE HOUSE — Provides legislative updates.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK — Mentions a noteworthy event or occurrence.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT — Discusses his recent media appearances.
LAGNIAPPE — A term rooted in his Louisiana heritage, meaning a bonus or an additional gift. It’s used here to present an extra piece of information or highlight.
Rep. Johnson concludes each newsletter with the signature, “For Freedom, Mike Johnson.”
Faith and Policy
Representative Johnson intertwines religious beliefs with his stance on multiple policy issues.
Back in 2021, Johnson took on the temporary role of Chairman of the House Republican Conference (the 3rd highest elected leadership position). Choosing not to maintain this position, he shared, “after much prayer and deliberation, Kelly and I decided I should complete my commitment to continue serving in this Congress as Vice Chairman.” His commitment to his faith is evident when he speaks about praying for his legislative peers, “Scripture teaches us to “pray for all those in authority” (1 Tim. 2:1–2), and I know my friends need it and appreciate it when we do.” He attends prayer sessions with other members of Congress between votes. He also led a delegation of members of Congress to the Museum of the Bible, noting “May God continue to bless America. Our survival depends upon it.”
When writing about Thanksgiving to constituents, he wrote that “The Founders knew it was God alone who allowed us to succeed in our revolution”. He has described his faith as comforting, after taking in a sunset behind the Washington Monument, “It was a beautiful reminder that in spite of our temporal troubles and turmoil — God is never shaken, He is always the same, and He is completely in control. What a comfort that is for all of us.”
When natural disaster or gun violence tragedies happen, Johnson turns to prayer. For instance, the aftermath of Louisiana’s flooding in 2021 he wrote, “We continue to pray for the impacted communities, our state, and the strength and resiliency of everyone involved.”. After the Uvalde school shooting where 19 students and 2 teachers were killed, Johnson interviewed Pastor Y.J. Jimenez for Rep. Johnson’s podcast; they concluded that “AMERICA HAS A HEART PROBLEM”. He went on to say, “Most of my Democrat colleagues believe the solution is more gun control and expansive new federal laws. I believe we need to address the root causes of the violence.”
His gratitude towards National Defense Authorization funding is framed within divine providence, crediting success to the almighty, “By God’s grace, all our hard work paid off and we achieved some incredible wins in the bill! This link below will help explain more of the details, but consider this summary: Under the NDAA, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force are now literally authorized to invest more money in Louisiana… than anywhere else in the world!”
In January of 2022 he turned his public religious hopes to abortion looking towards the upcoming Dobbs ruling. He wrote, “We pray that 2022 is the year the Supreme Court will recognize this truth once again. With the Dobbs case, we have the best chance in my lifetime.”
In March 2022 Citigroup announced that it would cover abortion-related expenses for their employees who might face greater hardship in obtaining reproductive care. In response, Rep Johnson said that in doing so, “Citi Bank has forfeited the privilege of doing business with Congress.”. He led an unsuccessful attempt to prohibit Citi from having a role in any government contracts.
In June he concluded an e-newsletter, “Thank you again for subscribing and reading. We’ll have more next week — and we remain prayerful it may finally bring us the reversal of Roe v. Wade!”
The following week he celebrated saying,
Though that may be read to mean that people and states ought to be able to choose abortion policy, in March of 2023 his line to Congressional Democrats was that it was folly to believe abortion rights are given by government instead of God.
While his anti-abortion stance is clear, he diverges slightly from some GOP peers, proposing child support provisions for expecting mothers. In describing his efforts, he has introduced legislation providing child support payments to pregnant mothers, saying “We acknowledge the indisputable fact that life begins at conception, and our laws should reflect that.”
Immigration
On immigration, Johnson recognized the U.S.’s moral obligation as a global sanctuary but criticized the administration’s handling of immigrant influx. He appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight in 2021 recognizing both the responsibility of the US to be a beacon to others in the world, but also that are limitations to this capacity, “The U.S. has always been a benevolent country and we will continue to be that shining city upon a hill, but there are important limitations to our capacity as a safe harbor. This administration’s mismanagement of the immigrant crisis is a failure of policy in Washington D.C., and it is terribly unfair for our local communities to bear the weight of Joe Biden’s bad ideas.”
He’s sought stricter asylum regulations arguing that the standard for seeking asylum need to be higher. Parts of his legislation, the Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act, were included a broader immigration reform bill considered by the Judiciary Committee. He as also voiced concerns regarding the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security, calling for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Ukraine and Israel
In international affairs, Johnson’s stance on Ukraine has evolved. While initially advocating for robust support against Russian aggression, by 2023, he displayed reservations about U.S. financial assistance, questioning its utilization by the Ukrainian government.
He has called Putin a bully, and argued that we ought to exclude Russia from global commerce and international institutions. After hearing directly from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a joint session of Congress he told constituents that, “The United States Congress should provide the necessary weapons and aid to Ukraine as they fight to secure their sovereignty.” He cheered when the House, in a bipartisan manner voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus and to completely suspend energy imports from Russia. He continued saying, “Alongside the recent U.S. shipment of weapons and aid to Ukraine, these moves will further cripple both Vladimir Putin’s economy and war machine.”
In March of 2023 his position changed somewhat, airing concerns about misuse of US dollars sent to Ukraine. He told constituents, “I used my time during our House Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday to probe the Administration on their oversight plan for American dollars that have flowed to Ukraine over the last year. To date, we have sent over $100 billion in aid, and the American people deserve to know if the Ukrainian government is being entirely forthcoming and transparent about the use of this massive sum of taxpayer resources.”
He has spoken out against “our closest ally Israel under constant attack by Hamas terrorists” and has noted, “and the importance of America standing strong in support of Israel.” Which is consistent with much of the GOP.
Trump
His treatment of Trump is mostly outrage about the FBI pursuing any Trump related claims, call outs against NY District Attorney Alvin Bragg for prosecution attempts, praise for not instituting vaccine mandates, border tours with the former president, and he wrote to constituents that former President Trump called him after a segment on Fox news to tell him it was “very, very well done”.
It is in these communications that his language choice sounds more like those of the far-right elements of the Republican Party. The others are relatively metered.
Personal life
Johnson’s e-newsletters provide insights into his personal life, though sparingly. He lets constituents in on his professional history saying, “Before I was elected to Congress, I spent much of my career as a litigator defending the sanctity of human life in the courts.” In building out his family structure he mentions that his dad was a firefighter, and a football player. He too played football. He mentions his wife, Kelly, the most often in his communications noting that she is considered in his decisions, they attend sports games together, and sometimes do tours and speaking engagements together. He never mentions his mom or any of his other children.
Overview on his Communications and One Quibble
E-newsletters are more than just updates; they’re a window into the priorities, values, and strategies of elected officials. As with any politician, understanding their communication is key to understanding their political persona.
Over the past seven years, Johnson has sent 115 official e-newsletters. Recently, there has been a noticeable shift in his online presence. Since the summer, his official website ceased archiving new e-newsletters, and there’s been a lull in communications from his office. As someone who reads a lot of official communications, there was one communication that came close to ringing alarm bells in my head for violating rules against using official communications for campaign purposes.
On Friday, September 30, 2022 Rep. Johnson wrote that the Republican Conference was ready to bring their messaging,
“to the American people leading into the November midterms…There’s a clear choice in this upcoming election “between those who would regard and protect the sanctity of every human life and those who have no regard for it at all.” I joined the Family Research Council’s Washington Watch this week hosted by my old friend, FRC President Tony Perkins, to contrast our Republican vision for America with the Democratic platform”
This is noteworthy because the line between official communications and campaign messaging can become blurred. To ensure fair elections, it’s imperative to prevent incumbents from leveraging their official privileges for electoral gains. After all, challengers already face many obstacles.
I hope this provides a clearer picture of nominee Mike Johnson and his political persona. As informed citizens, it’s good to remain discerning, ensuring that we truly understand the individuals representing us.
