Psaki Knocks Speaker Johnson as 'Christian Fundamentalist'

Former Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki criticized new House Speaker Mike Johnson over the weekend, calling the Louisiana Republican a "Christian fundamentalist" in an article for MSNBC and on her podcast.

On Sunday’s episode of "Inside with Jen Psaki," Psaki cautioned her audience that Johnson isn’t as benign as he might appear.

"First glance, Mike Johnson does seem fine," Psaki said. "Fine-ish. Conservative, yes. But he once started a civility caucus with a Democrat. And I mean, if nothing else, he wears a suit and has glasses. How threatening can this guy actually be?"

She said before introducing a clip of Johnson discussing his religious beliefs, "well, he gave us all a little clue as to how he would govern in an interview this week."

"I am a Bible-believing Christian," Johnson said. "Someone asked me today in the media, they said, well, it's curious. People are curious, what does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun? I said, well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That's my world view."

"You heard that right," Psaki said. "The Bible doesn't just inform his worldview, it is his worldview!"

Psaki then said Johnson suggested in his first speech after winning the gavel that "his election as speaker was an act of God."

"Talk about a bit of a humblebrag there," she said.

In his speech to the House, Johnson said God "raised up … all of us" to serve "the extraordinary people of this great nation" as their representatives in Congress.

"I believe that scripture, the Bible, is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority," he said, according to Mediaite. "He raised up each of you. All of us. And I believe that God has allowed and ordained each and every one of us to be here at this specific moment. This is my belief. I believe that each one of us has a huge responsibility today to use the gifts God has given us to serve the extraordinary people of this great nation, and they deserve it."

In her Saturday article for MSNBC, Psaki said "most Americans might not be able to pick Mike Johnson out of a lineup," but he is actually "far from benign."

"But it's not just his political ideology that should scare us," she wrote, referencing Johnson's support for former President Donald Trump and anti-abortion stance. "Johnson is basically a Christian fundamentalist. He believes that America is a Christian nation, and that those values should be reflected in our interpretation of the Constitution."

Johnson's "ideas of what America should be are completely out of line with what America actually is," making him the opposite of "harmless," she said.

• Rep. Alford to Newsmax: Speaker Has Heart of God, Mind of Christ
• Far Right Wins With Speaker Johnson