In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night, newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson openly voiced concerns about President Joe Biden’s “cognitive decline.” “I do. I think most of us do. That is reality, it is not a personal slight to him,” Johnson affirmed. “It has to do with age and acumen and everyone is different, everyone ages differently. Clearly, if you look at a tape of Joe Biden making an argument in the Senate Judiciary Committee a few years ago and you see a speech that he delivers now, there is a difference.”
Biden, the oldest president in the nation’s history at 80, has faced consistent questions about his age and mental sharpness. Despite the inquiries, he has responded with humor, trying to downplay concerns.
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who unexpectedly ascended to the position of House Speaker after weeks of chaotic leadership struggles, revealed he had only met Biden twice. Despite expressing his concerns about Biden’s cognitive abilities, Johnson stressed that he harbors no personal animosity towards the president, although he emphasized their significant political differences.
However, when Hannity pressed Johnson about his past controversial comments regarding LGBTQ Americans, the new House Speaker, an evangelical Christian, seemed to struggle. Johnson had previously played a prominent role in opposing same-sex marriage and had actively worked against LGBTQ rights, serving in leadership roles within the Southern Baptist Convention.
In 2003, Johnson had advocated for the criminalization of gay sex, stating that states had legitimate grounds to proscribe same-sex relationships. He had also expressed alarm about the growing acceptance of same-sex marriage, suggesting that expanding marriage rights might lead to bizarre scenarios like “a person marrying his pet.”
When confronted with these statements, Johnson appeared to conveniently forget years’ worth of his remarks. “I don’t even remember some of them,” he said, attempting to dismiss the comments that were made over a decade ago during his time as a litigator defending state marriage amendments.
Despite his past stance, Johnson asserted that he now considers the issue of same-sex marriage settled, particularly after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. “I respect the rule of law, I also genuinely love all people,” Johnson insisted. “This is not about the people themselves; this is about their lifestyle choices.”
With regards to working closely with Biden on various issues, including funding the federal government which is set to run out of money in a matter of weeks, spokespersons for the White House and Johnson’s office did not provide immediate responses to Insider’s requests for comment. Johnson’s remarks, especially his criticism of Biden and his shifting stance on LGBTQ issues, have raised questions about the dynamics of his future collaboration with the Biden administration.
