In October, Rep. Mike Johnson said his ascension to the position of House speaker was no coincidence, suggesting that God had ordained it.
“I believe that scripture, the Bible, is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority," the Louisiana Republican said in an eyebrow-raising first speech as speaker. "He raised up each of you. All of us. And I believe that God has allowed and ordained each and every one of us to be here at this specific moment.”
On Wednesday, reporter Pablo Manríquez asked Johnson at a news conference if he believed that "Joe Biden's presidency is God's will," in an apparent reference to Johnson's speech in October.
After talking at some length about the Bible and his faith, Johnson said: "It must have been God's will, then. That's my belief."
(A reminder that Johnson was one of 147 Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying Biden’s election win — a win that he now apparently believes was “God’s will.”)
Johnson's election to the speakership drew scrutiny to his Christian nationalist beliefs and his less-than-stellar leadership record. He has also said that the idea of separation of church and state — one of the nation's founding principles — means that the government should not encroach on religious beliefs, but not that the founding fathers “didn’t want principles of faith to have influence on our public life.” That take appears to misunderstand the full implications of that principle even as it guides his ideology of centering Christian values in American political life.
Despite his belief that God conferred the authority of U.S. president on Biden, Johnson — who has made no secret of his continued support for Donald Trump — said he thinks the country will make a "much better choice" in the election this year.
"We’re very much looking forward to that regime change," he said.