A video of Mike Johnson has gone viral. It comes after House Republicans voted yesterday to formally launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Republican lawmakers are the only ones pushing for an impeachment inquiry. Some of them claim, without any concrete evidence, that Biden was involved in potentially shady business dealings with his son, Hunter. None of them have actually specified any wrongdoing on the part of the President.
On Tuesday, Louisiana Rep. Johnson voiced his support for a formal inquiry.
“We can’t prejudge the outcome; the Constitution does not permit us to do so. We have to follow the truth where it takes us.”
In short, he’s admitting this is one big fishing expedition that may lead nowhere.
Now, a video has emerged in which he makes it clear it’s wrong for one party alone to force an impeachment.
“The Founding Fathers, the founders of this country, warned against single-party impeachments. And they had a very specific reason for warning us against that,” he says in the video.
“They said it would be bitterly divisive, perhaps irreparably divisive for the country. And that’s what’s happened now.”
What could have happened to make Johnson do a U-turn?
He made those comments four years ago when Donald Trump faced his first impeachment inquiry. Now, when it’s about Biden, he has the opposite view.
Absolutely amazing. Speaker Mike Johnson four years ago *today*
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 13, 2023
"The Founding Fathers, the founders of this country, warned against single-party impeachments. And they had a very specific reason for warning us against that." pic.twitter.com/iWH9Wz0sFw
“That aged like milk”
Since his surprise rise to Speaker of the House in October, the anti-LGBTQ+ Johnson has often had to defend his viewpoints. Old clips of him giving sermons and interviews have made plain his extremist stance when it comes to opposing gay rights and pushing a Biblical stance on… well, everything.
Online, many rolled their eyes at the video.
Wow that aged like milk. In the sun. In summer. In desert valley.
— Atogrim von Draken (@SiriusDrakeCGBI) December 13, 2023
This is a prime example of Republican hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy. Mike Johnson is a joke.🤦♀️
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) December 13, 2023
I hope one of the Democrats will simply read his prior comments as their own then cite him at the end. We’d hate to see any plagiarism, after all.
— Howell Ellerman (@howellsacto) December 13, 2023
A random aside: This isn't a dynamic in which the parties have simply traded talking points. Watching Johnson, I'm reminded that Dems aren't saying now what Republicans said four years ago.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen) December 13, 2023
Instead, Dems are just saying that an evidence-free impeachment push is ridiculous. https://t.co/F8dGUPXmx2
In September, then-speaker Kevin McCarthy announced an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. He recognized a floor vote was required to make it formal, but held off on authorizing one as he battled to remain in his post.
GOP Rep. James Comer, of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, is leading the inquiry.
Biden responds to impeachment inquiry
McCarthy said at the time that investigations “paint a picture of corruption”. However, he nor any other Republicans have so far pointed to any specific criminal activity.
Yesterday, despite this lack of evidence, the House moved to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Lawmakers voted 221-212 along party lines.
In a statement, President Biden slammed House Republicans for what he sees as a “baseless political stunt.”
“I wake up every day focused on the issues facing the American people – real issues that impact their lives, and the strength and security of our country and the world. Unfortunately, House Republicans are not joining me,” Biden said.
“Instead of doing anything to help make Americans’ lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies. Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts.”
The Biden-Harris HQ X account, affiliated with the President’s 2024 campaign for re-election, posted a handful of previous quotes from Republicans stating there was no evidence strong enough for an impeachment inquiry.
Republicans admitting out loud they have no evidence for impeachment
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) December 13, 2023
A thread pic.twitter.com/q7dIjjHGfR
Related:
With his speakership already collapsing, Mike Johnson resorts to bashing gay high schoolers
In a fundraising email, the Louisiana Republican rails that America’s culture is “depraved.”
Mike Johnson’s extreme anti-gay past keeps getting darker
The House Speaker once worked with a group that promoted gay conversion therapy.
ShaverC
“Some of them claim, without any concrete evidence, that Biden was involved in potentially shady business dealings with his son, Hunter.”
Evidence is presented at the trial.
ZzBomb
Not for impeachments.
But it doesn’t matter, they don’t have any evidence anyway.
Kangol2
Nope! But keep trying, Shaves!
dbmcvey
When’s that going to happen Shaves? They keep claiming there’s evidence and then quietly slither away.
abfab
Bengazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzi!!!!! They have nothing. So, what do they do? Nothing. Did you see Jim Jordan the other day SQUIRMING?
Mister P
That is the problem for the republicans. Potentially shady business dealings is not a high crime or misdemeanor.
ShaverC
What? People go to prion all the time for shady business dealings. Al Capone, they couldn’t get him for anything until they got him for tax evasion. Martha Stewart went to jail because of shady business dealings. Shakira was about to go to jail because of shady business dealings.
quantum
And the American people aren’t really falling for it, either. I think we all watch enough TV (succession and the real housewives and such) to know that rich people business deals are all shady AF.
Kangol2
Ask James Comer, who’s involved in “potentially shading business dealings” with his family!
Or let’s investigate (even more) Don the Con, who not only had a “secret bank account in China” while president and lied about trying to open a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 campaign, but who allegedly received money from over a dozen foreign governments and companies while he was president.
Brian
Did anyone really think that a guy who constantly touts his Christianity would be an honest person?
abfab
They are a very odd and hostile group of people. Nothing new. But the trolls love him.
Baron Wiseman
@Brian
…said the religious bigot.
Stefano
@Baron W : “I have no hatred in my heart” …says La Baronne.
Herman75
Might we also expect his involvement with Exodus suggests Johnson has sucked a d!ck or three?
Mister P
Al Capone went to prison for tax evasion. Shakira was in trouble for tax evasion.
“Shady business dealings” is just a term.
ShaverC
I think it’s safe to say that tax evasion and money laundering that may or may not include his father count as shady business dealings.
abfab
Shaver is shady. And laughable.
abfab
By Ken Bensinger
Dec. 13, 2023
NYT
Inside the Troll Army Waging Trump’s Online Campaign
A team of meme-makers has been flooding social media with pro-Trump posts riddled with sexist and racist tropes. Donald Trump is cheering them on.
Much of the group, which refers to itself as Trump’s Online War Machine, operates anonymously, adopting the cartoonish aesthetic and unrelenting cruelty of internet trolls.
Cheered on by Mr. Trump, the group traffics freely in misinformation, artificial intelligence and digital forgeries known as deepfakes. Its memes are riddled with racist stereotypes, demeaning tropes about L.G.B.T.Q. people and broad scatological humor.
(excerpt)
bachy
Reich Wing business-as-usual.
Fahd
If only a few more Republican members of the House would resign, pass away, be expelled, the Republicans would lose their majority. I don’t know whether Johnson is subject to the same easy challenge that McCarthy was, but , if so, a change in the House leadership could ensue. If only….
abfab
Long story short………………she’d be perfect for the job.
Republicans Tap Israeli Military Veteran to Run for Santos’s Seat
Party leaders believe Mazi Melesa Pilip has the potential to be a breakout star. But she has little political experience and her policy views are largely unknown.
still_onthemark
She is a registered Democrat! But with the unusual NYS system she ends up as the Republican nominee, go figure.
abfab
I love that! It’s so redundant and true!!!!!!!!
”unusual NYS system”
johncp56
We all know Mikey Johnson would take to a good prostate massage hot nerdy bottom, yes i,m ashamed that I got hard looking at him, then he spoke about how hateful his so called god is LOL