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*
"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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 13, 2023
“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.
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
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— Art Candee
(@ArtCandee) December 13, 2023
