Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Mike Johnson

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Mike Johnson.

Mike Johnson is an American lawyer and politician currently serving as the 56th Speaker of the House since 2023. A Republican, he has represented Louisiana's 4th congressional district since 2017, now in his fifth term. His rise to the speakership marks a significant moment in American politics.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2003: Opposed Lawrence v. Texas Decision

In 2003, Mike Johnson opposed the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which held that criminal punishment of private sexual conduct between consenting adults is unconstitutional. His employer at the time, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), supported maintaining criminalization.

2003: Wrote Articles on Homosexuality

In a 2003 article, Mike Johnson wrote that homosexuals do not meet the criteria for a suspect class under the equal protection clause. He also wrote that legalizing same-sex marriage could put the country's "entire democratic system in jeopardy".

2004: Defense of Louisiana Amendment 1

In 2004, Johnson defended Louisiana Amendment 1, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman within the Louisiana Constitution, against legal challenges.

2005: Campaign Against GLSEN's Day of Silence

In 2005, Mike Johnson campaigned against GLSEN's annual anti-bullying Day of Silence, claiming it was cloaking a message that "homosexuality is good for society".

April 2015: Proposed Marriage and Conscience Act

In April 2015, Johnson proposed the Marriage and Conscience Act, which aimed to prevent adverse treatment based on beliefs about marriage. The bill faced criticism for potentially enabling discrimination against same-sex married couples.

May 19, 2015: Marriage and Conscience Act Tabled

On May 19, 2015, the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee voted to table the Marriage and Conscience Act, effectively ending its chances to become law. In response, Governor Jindal issued an executive order to enforce its intent.

2015: Johnson Blames Abortions and Family Breakup for School Shootings

In 2015, Johnson blamed abortions and the "breakup [of] the nuclear family" for school shootings, saying, "when you tell a generation of people that life has no value, no meaning, that it's expendable, then you do wind up with school shooters."

2015: Purity Ball Attendance

In 2015, Mike Johnson and his 13-year-old daughter Hannah were featured in a German television story about the purity movement, attending a purity ball.

2016: Johnson Leads Anti-Abortion "Life March"

In 2016, Johnson led an anti-abortion "Life March" in Shreveport-Bossier City.

2016: Sermon on Evolution and Mass Shootings

In 2016, Mike Johnson delivered a sermon linking the teaching of evolution to mass shootings, arguing that it devalues human life by promoting a "survival of the fittest" mentality.

2016: Opposition to Medical Cannabis Expansion

In 2016, Mike Johnson opposed the expansion of medical cannabis in Louisiana. He argued that cannabis could worsen conditions like epilepsy, referencing the American Epilepsy Society's findings that it may cause severe dystonic reactions, movement disorders, developmental regression, intractable vomiting, and worsening seizures in children with epilepsy.

2017: Johnson Questions Human Cause of Climate Change

During a town hall in 2017, Johnson said that he believed that Earth's climate was changing, but questioned the scientific consensus that humans cause climate change.

2017: Supported Trump's Immigration Ban

In 2017, Mike Johnson voiced his support for President Trump's executive order that prohibited immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries, arguing it was a necessary measure to protect the homeland.

2017: Johnson Argues Roe v. Wade Necessitates Social Program Cuts

In a 2017 House Judiciary Committee meeting, Johnson argued that Roe v. Wade made it necessary to cut social programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid because abortion reduced the labor force and thus damaged the economy.

April 2018: Advocacy for School Prayer

In April 2018, Mike Johnson joined Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and actor Kirk Cameron to advocate for student-led school prayer and religious expression in public schools, citing the First Amendment.

2019: Opposed Raise the Wage Act

In 2019, Mike Johnson opposed the Raise the Wage Act, which proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, labeling it "job-crushing legislation".

November 2020: Johnson Urges Trump to Exhaust Legal Remedies

In early November 2020, after many pollsters and media outlets called the 2020 United States presidential election in favor of Joe Biden over Donald Trump, Johnson said that he spoke to Trump twice, recounting that he urged Trump to "exhaust every available legal remedy to restore Americans' trust in the fairness of our election system".

November 17, 2020: Johnson on Voting Machine Allegations

On November 17, 2020, Johnson stated that there was "a lot of merit" to allegations about voting machines being rigged with software by Dominion and that "a software system that is used all around the country that is suspect because it came from Hugo Chávez's Venezuela".

December 2020: Johnson Leads Amicus Brief Effort

In December 2020, Johnson led an effort in which 126 Republican U.S. representatives signed an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

2020: Relaxing Restrictions on Mail-In Voting

During the January 2021 United States Electoral College vote count, Johnson argued to reject the 2020 election results based on the argument of constitutional infirmity.

2020: Contesting the 2020 Presidential Election

In 2020, Johnson contested the results of the 2020 presidential election in the House and in court.

2020: Voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results

In 2020, Johnson was among 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

January 2021: Johnson Objects to Electoral College Vote Count

During the January 2021 United States Electoral College vote count, Johnson was one of 120 U.S. representatives who objected to certifying the 2020 presidential election results from both Arizona and Pennsylvania.

May 19, 2021: Johnson Votes Against January 6 Commission

On May 19, 2021, Johnson and all seven other Republican House leaders in the 117th Congress voted against establishing a national commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

2021: Johnson Co-Sponsors Anti-Abortion Bills

In 2021, Johnson co-sponsored bills attempting to ban abortion nationwide, such as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, the Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children From Late-Term Abortions Act, and the Heartbeat Protection Act of 2021. All three bills would impose criminal penalties.

2021: Opposed Raise the Wage Act again

In 2021, Mike Johnson reiterated his opposition to the Raise the Wage Act.

October 2022: Johnson Denies Supporting Claims of Massive Fraud

By October 2022, Johnson said that he had never supported claims that there was massive fraud in the 2020 election.

2022: Introduced Stop the Sexualization of Children Act

In 2022, Mike Johnson introduced the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, which would prohibit federally funded institutions, including public schools and libraries, from mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity. This bill has been compared to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law.

July 2023: Spoke Against Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth

At a July 2023 hearing on transgender youth, Mike Johnson spoke against allowing children to receive gender-affirming care, citing the need to protect children from abuse and physical harm. He has also co-sponsored legislation that would criminalize providing opposite-sex hormones or gender-affirming surgeries to minors.

2023: Votes Against Cannabis Decriminalization

As of 2023, Mike Johnson had voted against the decriminalization of cannabis twice.

2023: Controversy over Anti-Gay Language

In 2023, CNN's Andrew Kaczynski reported that Mike Johnson had a history of anti-gay language from his time as an attorney, citing editorials he wrote in the early 2000s. Johnson responded by saying he doesn't remember some of them and was defending state marriage amendments as a litigator.

2023: Co-sponsored Personhood Legislation

In 2023, Mike Johnson co-sponsored legislation declaring that human life and personhood begin at conception, without exceptions for in-vitro fertilization or embryonic stem-cell research.

April 2024: Criticized Pro-Palestinian Protests

In April 2024, Mike Johnson voiced criticism against pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. university campuses, expressing his determination that Congress would not remain silent while Jewish students were fearful for their safety.

November 2024: Announced Bathroom Policy in U.S. Capitol

In November 2024, Mike Johnson announced a new policy on bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol, reserving single-sex facilities for individuals of that biological sex. This policy was enacted shortly after the election of Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.

March 2025: Comments on Federal Judges and Trump Administration Policies

In March 2025, Mike Johnson criticized federal judges for issuing injunctions against the Trump administration's policies, calling it a "dangerous trend" that violates the separation of powers. He also suggested that Congress has the power to eliminate an entire district court.

July 2025: Johnson Adjourns House Early

In July 2025, Johnson adjourned the House early to prevent action on the relationship of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. During the 2025 shutdown, Johnson refused to call the House into session and was described as having "spent much of the shutdown appearing daily at news conferences" defending Trump.

August 2025: Comments on Israeli Settlement in West Bank

During an August 2025 visit to the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the West Bank, Mike Johnson stated that the "mountains of Judea and Samaria" rightfully belong to the Jewish people.

2025: Karni on Johnson's Relationship with Trump

In 2025, New York Times journalist Annie Karni said that Johnson largely deferred his role to the president during the second Trump presidency by not holding oversight hearings and holding the House out of session during the 2025 United States federal government shutdown.

2025: Johnson Supports Trump's Use of Military for Protests

In May 2025, Johnson supported Trump's use of the National Guard and Marines to quell the 2025 Los Angeles protests, also suggesting that California governor Gavin Newsom should be "tarred and feathered."