(Ken Silva, Headline USA) When Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., was being considered to be the next House Speaker, critics and supporters alike pointed to his staunch opposition to the Biden administration’s proxy war in Ukraine.
But about 24 hours after winning the position on Wednesday, Johnson flip-flopped and now supports more funding for the Ukraine war effort.
“We all do. We’re going to have conditions on that,” he told a reporter Thursday on Capitol Hill.
“We want accountability, and we want objectives that are clear from the White House. But we’re going to have those discussions, and they’ll be very productive.”
BREAKING:
The new House Speaker Mike Johnson now says that he supports additional assistance for Ukraine.
🇺🇸🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/Ghk8zTTRU9
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 26, 2023
Johnson further came out of the closet as a neocon in an interview Wednesday night with Fox News host Sean Hannity, where he said he’d support a war with Iran and mimicked Democratic talking points about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Considering that his first act as Speaker was to introduce a bill to aid Israel—though that move was arguably more popular with his constituents—the MAGA faction of the GOP is now in an uproar due to Johnson following the same old “America last” policies as his predecessors.
“The first thing the new speaker of the house did was give Israel our tax dollars… then, he followed it up with promising more money to Ukraine,” said conservative commentator Brendon Dilley.
“Congress gonna Congress.”
But Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who spearheaded the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., still has hope for Johnson as a true America first leader. Responding to Dilley, Gaetz launched a defense of Johnson on Twitter.
“We passed a ceremonial resolution supporting Israel this week – no money yet under @SpeakerJohnson (though its coming). McCarthy wanted to lash Ukraine and Israel money together. Johnson says we will do them separate (that’s not what Ukraine wanted!),” Gaetz insisted.
“Wait and see on Ukraine. Don’t forget that a majority of the majority is opposed to this in the Republican conference. I don’t see Johnson rolling us with Democrats on Ukraine.”
Observers will find out soon enough. President Joe Biden seeks a $105 billion aid package that will include funding for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan—with a poultry $12 billion thrown in for border security, perhaps to appease Republicans.
Biden sent emergency spending package to Congress for $105 billion:
— $61.4 billion for Ukraine
— $10.6 billion for Israel
— $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, Gaza, Israel.
— $12 billion for border agents.
— $7.4 billion for Taiwan, other Pacific allies. pic.twitter.com/wjwVcWOsze
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 20, 2023
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
