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 United States House of Representatives since 2023. As a Republican, he has represented Louisiana's 4th congressional district in the House since 2017, marking his fifth term in Congress.

Sections (6)

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

2003: Opposition to Lawrence v. Texas decision

In 2003, Johnson opposed the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which decriminalized private sexual conduct between consenting adults. His employer, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), supported maintaining criminalization.

2003: Views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage

In 2003, Johnson wrote that homosexuals do not meet the criteria for a suspect class and are capable of changing their lifestyles, and he expressed concern that legalizing same-sex marriage could jeopardize the country's democratic system.

2004: Defended Louisiana Amendment 1

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

2005: Campaign against GLSEN's Day of Silence

In 2005, Johnson campaigned against GLSEN's annual anti-bullying Day of Silence, telling NBC News "that's cloaking their real message—that homosexuality is good for society".

2008: Suggestion that homosexuality contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire

During a 2008 radio interview, Johnson suggested that homosexuality contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire.

April 2015: Proposed the Marriage and Conscience Act

In April 2015, Johnson proposed the Marriage and Conscience Act in Louisiana. It was met with both support and criticism.

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.

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, asserting that devaluing life leads to such incidents. In 2015, he also stated that Donald Trump ... lacks the character and the moral center we desperately need again in the White House.

2015: Johnson Criticizes Donald Trump

In 2015, Johnson wrote on Facebook that "Donald Trump ... lacks the character and the moral center we desperately need again in the White House", adding that Trump "is a hot head by nature" and lacks the demeanor to be President.

2016: Sermon linking evolution to mass shootings

In 2016, Johnson delivered a sermon linking the teaching of evolution to mass shootings, asserting that it promotes a lack of moral values and devalues human life.

2016: Johnson Leads Anti-Abortion "Life March"

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

2016: Opposition to the expansion of medical cannabis in Louisiana

In 2016, Mike Johnson opposed the expansion of medical cannabis in Louisiana, citing the American Epilepsy Society's studies that cannabis can worsen some conditions, specifically epilepsy, and cause "severe dystonic reactions and other 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: 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.

November 2020: Johnson Urges Trump to Pursue Legal Remedies

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

November 17, 2020: Johnson Alleges Voting Machine Rigging

On November 17, 2020, Johnson said there was "a lot of merit" to allegations about voting machines being rigged with software by Dominion, linking it to Hugo Chávez's Venezuela. By October 2022, Johnson stated that he had never supported claims of massive fraud in the 2020 election.

December 2020: Johnson Leads Amicus Brief in Support of Texas v. Pennsylvania

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 2020 presidential election results. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

2020: Contested the Results of the 2020 Presidential Election

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

2020: Voted to Overturn 2020 Presidential Election Results

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

2020: Johnson Argued Against Relaxing Voting Restrictions

In January 2021, Johnson objected to certifying the 2020 presidential election results, arguing that state officials had violated the Constitution by relaxing restrictions on mail-in voting or early voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic without consulting state legislatures.

January 2021: Johnson Objects to Certifying Electoral College Results

During the January 2021 United States Electoral College vote count, Johnson objected to certifying the 2020 presidential election results from Arizona and Pennsylvania. He was called "the most important architect of the Electoral College objections" by The New York Times.

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 Bills to Ban Abortion

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.

2022: Wrote Foreword to "The Revivalist Manifesto"

In 2022, Johnson wrote the foreword to Scott McKay's book, "The Revivalist Manifesto", later expressing disagreement with some of its content.

2022: Introduction of the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act

In 2022, Mike Johnson introduced the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, which aimed to prevent federally funded institutions from mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity. This bill has been compared to Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act.

January 2023: House Passes Johnson's Resolution Condemning Violence Against Pro-Life Facilities

In January 2023, the House passed a resolution introduced by Johnson condemning "vandalism, violence, and destruction against pro-life facilities, groups, and churches", and affirmed the "sanctity of life".

July 2023: Opposition to gender-affirming care for transgender youth

In July 2023, at a hearing on transgender youth, Mike Johnson spoke out against allowing children to receive gender-affirming care, emphasizing the importance of protecting children from abuse and physical harm. He has also co-sponsored legislation to criminalize providing opposite-sex hormones or gender-affirming surgeries to minors.

October 2023: Johnson Receives Donations from Oil and Gas Industry

As of October 2023, Johnson had received $338,125 in donations from the oil and gas industry during his congressional career.

2023: Voted against the decriminalization of cannabis

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

2023: Criticism for anti-gay language

In 2023, Andrew Kaczynski of CNN reported on Johnson's history of using "harsh anti-gay language" during his time as an attorney for a socially conservative legal group in the mid-2000s. Johnson responded by saying he doesn't remember writing some of the editorials and that he was defending state marriage amendments.

2023: Co-sponsorship of legislation on personhood at conception

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

February 13, 2024: House Impeached Alejandro Mayorkas

On February 13, 2024, the House impeached Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas by a 214–213 vote, with Johnson championing the impeachment resolution.

March 6, 2024: House Passes "Minibus" Spending Package

On March 6, 2024, the House passed a $459 billion "minibus" spending package with six appropriations bills. The rightmost faction of the Republican conference opposed the deal. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a motion to vacate Johnson's speakership, warning him about relying on Democratic votes.

March 7, 2024: Clarification on federal legislation for IVF

On March 7, 2024, Johnson clarified that he does not support federal legislation to protect legal access to IVF, believing it is a state issue, while also stating that IVF "is a remarkable thing and something we ought to preserve and protect".

April 2024: Criticism of pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. university campuses

In April 2024, Johnson criticized pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. university campuses, expressing determination to ensure Congress addresses safety concerns for Jewish students.

May 8, 2024: Motion to Vacate Johnson's Speakership

On May 8, 2024, Greene introduced a motion to vacate Johnson's speakership, forcing a vote. The House voted to table the motion, allowing Johnson to remain speaker. Democrats supported Johnson due to his role in providing funding for the federal government and Ukraine.

May 2024: Johnson on Abortion Policy Post-Dobbs Decision

In May 2024, following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, Johnson stated that abortion policy was the purview of the states and that he would not try to pass a nationwide abortion ban.

November 2024: Announcement of new bathroom policy in the U.S. Capitol

In November 2024, Mike Johnson announced a new bathroom policy for the U.S. Capitol, stating that single-sex facilities are reserved for individuals of that biological sex, with unisex restrooms available throughout the Capitol. This policy was enacted shortly after the election of Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.

March 2025: Criticism of federal judges' injunctions

In March 2025, Johnson criticized federal judges for issuing injunctions against the Trump administration's policies, calling it a "dangerous trend" that violates the separation of powers.

May 2025: Johnson's Response to Questions About Qatari Jet

In May 2025, when asked about the Qatari jet N7478D, Johnson responded, "I'm going to leave it to the administration. They know much more about the details of that, OK? I'm just—it's not my lane."

July 2025: Johnson Adjourns House Early to Prevent Action on Trump and Epstein

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 and insisting that the House had nothing to do but wait in an effort "to render the House irrelevant".

August 2025: Statement on Jewish people's right to Judea and Samaria

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

2025: Johnson's Role During Government Shutdown

During the 2025 United States federal government shutdown, Johnson kept the House of Representatives largely in recess and did not hold votes on funding legislation. According to The New York Times, Johnson largely deferred to the president during the second Trump presidency, limiting his control over his members.

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. He also suggested that California governor Gavin Newsom should be "tarred and feathered."