If for no reason other than Marjorie Taylor Greene’s unparalleled hatred for him, Mike Johnson‘s clung to the tentative respect of many Americans for several months now.
That’s all changing in the wake of his response to Donald Trump’s guilty verdict, however, which is exposing the politician for the slimy, self-serving sycophant he always was. Its really no surprise, given the state of the party he represents as Speaker of the House of Representatives, but its disappointing none-the-less.
Over the last several months, Mike Johnson has slowly wormed his way into broad American favor by being the best the worst side of the aisle can offer. He’s not perfect, by any means, but he doesn’t see “bipartisan” as a dirty word, and he’s deviated from the typical Republican approach in working to satisfy both sides of the aisle with his decisions.
That is, up until the far-right’s egotistical emperor was slapped with a resounding guilty verdict in his criminal trial, finally landing the former president with some consequences for his rampant disregard of U.S. laws. Johnson couldn’t have himself come off as anything but supportive of daddy Trump, so he put aside any actual brainpower he once boasted to join the lineup of drooling bootlickers.
Sprinting to X to showcase his adherence to the glassy-eyed herd mentality, Johnson blasted the Trump verdict as “shameful,” and the charges that prompted it “ridiculous.”
Its hilarious to watch MAGAs tie themselves in knots decrying the “purely political” nature of the legal, warranted trial, when the last several decades of Republican legacy ditched anything resembling actual productivity in favor of partisan attacks. Remember when former Speaker Kevin McCarthy openly admitted that the Benghazi investigation was purely motivated by politics? Yeah, that’s what a “purely political exercise” looks like, Mike.
What Trump faced down in that court room was nothing if not warranted, given the notorious grifter’s careful manipulation of this nation’s laws to suit him. For once, it didn’t work out the way he intended, and now he’s facing the music. It’s a gorgeous demonstration of the enduring power of our judicial system, and it was earned through Trump’s own actions.
So no, Mike, this is not evidence that “Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent and crush their political opponents,” its evidence that, when push comes to shove, our judicial system isn’t corrupt enough to let a former president off just because he’s a dangerous loudmouth. Its also not “lawfare,” and the vast majority of U.S. citizens see through your lies, Trump’s blatant BS, and the MAGA echo chamber.
They see this verdict for what it really is, and they see you for what you really are: A weasel of a man who’s once-respected spine shriveled in the face of an orange tyrant. Congratulations, whatever respect you drummed up from American citizens went down the drain with that one pitiful tweet, and we realize that every near-reasonable thing you’ve ever done was the exception — not the rule.