Jen Psaki bashes GOP Speaker Mike Johnson for being a 'religious fundamentalist'
Former White House press secretary turned MSNBC host Jen Psaki bashed the new Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, for being a "religious fundamentalist" on her show, "Inside with Jen Psaki," Sunday.
"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," she continued. "How threatening can this guy actually be?"
Psaki played a clip of Johnson describing himself as a "Bible-believing Christian."
NEW HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON'S APPEAL TO 'GOD,' 'THE BIBLE’ ON HOUSE FLOOR SPARKS DEBATE ONLINE
"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?" he said in the clip. "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 in response to Johnson's comments. "The Bible doesn’t just inform his worldview, it is his worldview."
In an article for MSNBC, Psaki warned her audience that Johnson is a scary speaker for more than just his political beliefs. "Most Americans might not be able to pick Mike Johnson out of a lineup, but in reality he’s far from benign," Psaki wrote.
"It’s not just his political ideology that should scare us. Johnson is basically a Christian fundamentalist," she continued.
Johnson has received a polarized reaction online for invoking God and the Bible during appearances following his election to Speaker of the House.
While conservatives on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, have praised Johnson for wearing his Christianity on his sleeve in his new role, some liberals argued that he is offending the "Constitution and the New Testament" with his appeal to God inside the House chamber.
Speaking to Congress following his election, Johnson declared, "I don’t believe there are any coincidences in a matter like this. I believe that Scripture and the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority. He raised up each of you, all of us. And I believe God has ordained and allowed each one of us to be brought here for this specific moment and this time. This is my belief."
"I believe that each one of us has a huge responsibility today to use the gifts that God has given us to serve the extraordinary people of this great country and they deserve it," he added.
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Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.