Mike Johnson's conversion |
| | US House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. |
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House Speaker Mike Johnson has changed his mind.
As a backbencher from Louisiana, Johnson voted against sending more aid to Ukraine as it fights for survival under a Russian onslaught. And since his shock elevation to the speakership last October, he's been cool on President Joe Biden's latest $60 billion package of arms and ammunition, which has been held up in Congress for months, significantly boosting Russia's war effort.
But something unusual has happened, that you don't often see in politics. Johnson has comprehensively rethought his position. After insisting for months that Ukraine aid could only pass after draconian border measures are enforced at the US-Mexico frontier, he has uncoupled the issues. As he tries to pass bills full of aid to Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel this weekend, Johnson has ditched "America First" rhetoric and sounds like an old-school Ronald Reagan Republican.
"We are going to stand by Israel, our close ally and dear friend, and we're going to stand for freedom and make sure that Vladimir Putin doesn't march through Europe. These are important responsibilities," Johnson said. "Since World War II, really, the responsibility for the free world has been shifted onto our shoulders."
He added: "We're the greatest nation on the planet, and we have to act like it. And we have to project to Putin and Xi and Iran and North Korea and anybody else that we will defend freedom."
Johnson's shift has put his speakership in peril with far-right lawmakers in his conference who oppose sending more aid to Ukraine and have huge influence because of the tiny GOP House majority. This group may call a vote to oust him, leaving it up to Democrats to decide whether to save a Republican speaker.
So what caused Johnson's change of heart? Has Johnson's elevation to one of the great state offices, with its access to top secret intelligence, shaped his thinking? Or has his new job caused him to see the world in a different light now that he's got more than his Louisiana constituents to worry about? Or is the thought of deserting a democratic ally under a vicious assault by Russia something he doesn't want on his conscience or to define his legacy?
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul thinks Johnson, a devout Christian, may have had a religious epiphany. "The speaker has had a lot of pressure on him, very difficult circumstance. I was with him the night before he made his decision and I know he takes it very personally and he is a man of faith," the Texas Republican said. "I think he doesn't wear it on his sleeve, but I think, on his knees ... he prayed for guidance and said, 'Look, tell me what is the right thing to do here.' And then he told me the next day, 'I want to be on the right side of history.' And I think he is following the legacy of Churchill."
Johnson also cited personal factors for a desire to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. "To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys. My son is going to begin in the Naval Academy this fall. This is a live-fire exercise for me as it is so many American families. This is not a game, this is not a joke."
"I can make a selfish decision and do something that's different, but I'm doing here what I believe to be the right thing," Johnson said. "I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really do believe the intel and the briefings that we've gotten. I believe Xi, Vladimir Putin and Iran really are an axis of evil. I think they're in coordination on it."
"I think that Vladimir Putin would continue to march through Europe if he were allowed. I think he might go to the Balkans next. I think he might have a showdown with Poland or one of our NATO allies."
Not many people saw this coming, and Johnson still faces a considerable challenge in getting the foreign aid package through the House. But his conversion could represent a lifeline for Ukraine.
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'I don't like his persona' |
Prospective jurors at Donald Trump's hush money trial in Manhattan were grilled for evidence of any potential bias against the former president. Seating a jury can be difficult at the best of times. But when the defendant is possibly the most famous man in the world, who people either tend to love or hate, it's even tougher. Here are some of the exchanges prosecutors and judges had in the courtroom with jurors, who are serving anonymously, for their own protection. "I tend to not agree with a lot of his politics and his decisions as a president, but I've really taken the past few days to reflect and make sure I can leave that and be a totally impartial juror, and I feel like I can," one woman said. A prospective juror who is a business owner praised the former president. "I mean he was our president. That's pretty amazing. He's a businessman in New York," he said. "He's forged his way ... I'm impressed with that." He likened himself to Trump as an entrepreneur who's also accomplished things. "I see that as a positive thing," the juror said. Another juror said of Trump, who is sitting in the courtroom: "I don't like his persona." Asked to explain what she meant, the potential juror added, "He just seems very selfish and self serving. So I don't really appreciate that in any public servant. So I don't know him as a person so I don't know how he is in terms of his integrity. It's just not my cup of tea." "Sounds like you're saying you don't like him?" Trump attorney Susan Necheles said. "Yes," she replied. |
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