Now, Johnson, 51, is House Speaker, and new attention is focused on his behind-the-scenes role in attempting to overturn the election results on behalf of former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
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New House Speaker Mike Johnson challenged the 2020 election results.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n A social conservative, Johnson played a leading role in recruiting House Republicans to sign a legal brief supporting a lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election results.<\/p>\n In December 2020, Johnson collected signatures for a legal brief in support of a Texas lawsuit attempting to throw out the results in four battleground states won by Joe Biden.<\/p>\n The Supreme Court ultimately rejected the suit, but not before Johnson persuaded more than 60 per cent of House Republicans to sign onto the effort. He did so by telling them the initiative had been personally blessed by Trump and the former president was \u201canxiously awaiting\u201d to see who in Congress would step up to the plate to defend him.<\/p>\n A constitutional lawyer, Johnson also was a key architect of Republicans\u2019 objections to certifying Biden\u2019s victory on January 6, 2021. Many Republicans in Congress relied on his arguments.<\/p>\n Trump supporters rally before the riot at the US Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n On the eve of the January 6 votes, he presented colleagues with arguments they could use to oppose the will of the voters without embracing conspiracy theories and the lies of widespread fraud pushed by Trump. Johnson instead faulted the way some states had changed voting procedures during the pandemic, saying it was unconstitutional.<\/p>\n After a mob of Trump\u2019s supporters, believing the election was rigged, stormed the Capitol on January 6, injuring about 150 police officers, Johnson condemned the violence. But he defended the actions of congressional Republicans in objecting to Biden\u2019s victory.<\/p>\n He wrote a two-page memo of talking points meant to buck up Republicans and lamented that the violence had almost eclipsed his careful arguments. \u201cMost of the country has also never heard the principled reason,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n Over a year later, on \u201cTruth Be Told,\u201d the Christian podcast he hosts with his wife, Kelly, Johnson continued to argue he and his colleagues had been right to object to the election results.<\/p>\n \u201cThe slates of electors were produced by a clearly unconstitutional process, period,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Johnson came to Congress in 2017 with support from the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, though he has never joined the group.<\/p>\n In an interview this year, he referred to Jordan, a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus, as a \u201cvery close friend\u201d who \u201chas been a mentor to me since I got here\u201d.<\/p>\n Republican presidential candidate former president Donald Trump.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n Johnson said Jordan called him when he was running for office because \u201che knew I was a conservative,\u201d contributed money to his campaign, and invited him to Washington for a meeting with him and other Freedom Caucus members.<\/p>\n \u201cHe started providing advice to me,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cSo now we\u2019ve become very close.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2020, the two men and their wives travelled to Israel together and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<\/p>\n Johnson has also made a close ally of Trump, and he served on Trump\u2019s impeachment defence team.<\/p>\n On November 8, 2020, Johnson was onstage at a northwest Louisiana church speaking about Christianity in America when Trump called. Johnson had been in touch with the president\u2019s team on his myriad legal challenges seeking to overturn the results, \u201cto restore the integrity of our election process,\u201d according to a Facebook post by Johnson recounting the exchange.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to keep fighting for that, Mike,\u201d he said Trump told him.<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed we do, sir!\u201d Johnson said he replied.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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