The man who brought the Republicans to their senses: Mike Johnson is the new chairman Now Trump’s dominoes are falling

This is a name to remember: Mike Johnson. Since Wednesday, that has been the name of the new Speaker of the US House of Representatives. The Republican from the southern state of Louisiana replaces his ousted party colleague Kevin McCarthy after a 22-day break. 220 Republican lawmakers voted for Johnson, who as chairman will not only formally lead the grand chamber of Congress, but will now also lead the majority faction. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries received 209 votes.

For the 51-year-old Johnson, the election as chairman represents a major career leap. He was only elected to the House of Representatives in 2016; Johnson was last number five in the group. So he is not a backbencher. Unlike the three internal party rivals who had unsuccessfully filed for the position of speaker in recent days, Johnson does not appear to have made any enemies in Washington. “Mike is nice,” said his party friend Elise Stefanik, and she meant it as a compliment.

Even some Democrats say they are fine with the gifted communicator — even as former President Donald Trump’s ally tried to block Joe Biden’s victory after the 2020 election.

For Israel, but against abortion rights

On foreign policy, Johnson represents the positions of the modern Republican Party. He supports his ally Israel, but is critical of further aid packages for Ukraine. Voters demanded accountability for the resources used in Ukraine, the MP said.

On domestic policy, Johnson is the tough lefty. A position paper from the devout Protestant states: “A just government protects life and honors marriage and the family as the most important institutions of a healthy society.” In plain language, this means that Johnson is against abortion and rejects gay marriage. (aargauerzeitung.ch)