House Speaker Mike Johnson sits for first interview since attaining gavel
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., joins 'Hannity' for a wide-ranging interview on his plans, domestic issues and unrest abroad.
After attaining the gavel, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has already seen a flurry of media attention over his stance on certain issues like LGBTQ+ rights and abortion. During a wide-ranging interview on "Hannity" on Thursday, Johnson defended his worldview as a "Bible-believing Christian," but also emphasized his agenda is to do what's best for Americans and defend the rule of law.
NEW HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON'S APPEAL TO ‘GOD,’ ‘THE BIBLE' ON HOUSE FLOOR SPARKS DEBATE ONLINE
MIKE JOHNSON: I was a litigator that was called upon to defend the state marriage amendments. If you remember back in the early 2000s, I think there were over 35 states, somewhere in that number, that the people went to the ballot in their respective states and they amended their state constitutions to say marriage is one man, one woman. Well, I was a religious liberty defense lawyer, and I was called to go in and defend those cases in the courts. Let me state this very clearly. And there's been questions about this. Let me say where I am. Anybody that knows me will tell you this is true. I am a rule of law guy. I made a career defending the rule of law. I respect the rule of law. When the Supreme Court issued the Obergefell opinion, that became the law of the land. I respect the rule of law, but I also genuinely love all people, regardless of their lifestyle choices. This is not about the people themselves. I am a Bible-believing Christian. Someone asked me today in the media, they said people are curious, what does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun? I said, Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That's my worldview, that's what I believe.
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But here's the thing. Everybody comes to the House of Representatives with deep personal convictions, but all of our personal convictions are not going to become law. This a big body of people. There's 435 members in the House. You have to argue and find consensus in all of that. So I have no agenda other than what's best for the American people and to defend the rule of law and that's what we're doing.
Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, speaks after becoming speaker in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Johnson also told "Hannity" that the House is primed to proffer a $14.5 billion support bill for Israel, slightly more than what the Louisiana Republican said Israel — via the White House — has asked for.
Johnson said the figure is a "very specific number tied to very specific measures" and that each dollar should be offset by a cut elsewhere.
Johnson added he has met previously with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and agreed that while Americans talk of "existential threats" stateside, Israel faces one or more daily.
"Their neighbors want to eliminate them," he said.
"America will back [Netanyahu] up — they tell us when we're in Israel the reason we're able to sustain ourselves and survive is because everybody knows our big ally is America."
FOX News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
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