Critique Of New Speaker Mike Johnson’s Finances Backfires

A recent attempt by the Left to mock new House Speaker Mike Johnson over his personal finances only ended up rallying support for the Republican leader. 

An article by Daily Beast senior political reporter Roger Sollenberger pointed out that Johnson has not reported any checking or savings accounts in his name, nor in the names of his wife or children for the past seven years. 

“In fact, he doesn’t appear to have money stashed in any investments, with his latest filing — covering 2022 — showing no assets whatsoever,” the report stated.

“Of course, it’s unlikely Johnson doesn’t actually have a bank account. What’s more likely is Johnson lives paycheck to paycheck — so much so that he doesn’t have enough money in his bank account to trigger the checking account disclosure rules for members of Congress,” Sollenberger suggested.

Johnson’s financial disclosure does stand in stark contrast to recent House speakers like Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (R-CA). McCarthy reported owning up to $800,000 in various assets, including mutual funds, along with liabilities worth up to $350,000. Pelosi, whose net worth is estimated to exceed $100 million, owns substantial stakes in companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, along with reporting multiple million-dollar financial transactions.

While he does not have much, Johnson’s financial situation appears to be in line with a significant portion of the American population. Due to the relatability, the article received a strong response from many Americans, including elected officials, who rallied behind the speaker.

“So, to extent accurate, he’s like a lot of Americans right now while also navigating raising a large family? What a monster,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) tweeted.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) weighed in with, “The Daily Beast is furious that @SpeakerJohnson isn’t rich, corrupt or rich from being corrupt. He doesn’t have shady business deals. He doesn’t trade stocks as a congressman.”

For many, like Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Johnson’s integrity and lack of enrichment through his office should be celebrated, not mocked or criticized.

“So the Daily Beast wants people to be mad that Speaker Johnson isn’t corrupt and hasn’t used his office to enrich himself? This is how out of touch these guys are,” Boebert wrote.

Fox Business host Charles Payne pointed out that in today’s world, lawmakers not using insider knowledge to amass wealth while in public office should be seen as a positive rather than a negative. “Crazy times when some see it as a strike against lawmakers who are not actively using insider knowledge to make millions of dollars while serving as ‘public servant,’” he commented.

Speaking to Fox News, Rep. Kat Cammack, a close ally of Speaker Johnson, pointed out the hypocrisy in the criticism, given that Democrats like Pelosi have amassed significant wealth by taking advantage of the economic system while in office.

“Today, we have a speaker who is not independently wealthy, who does not own or trade stocks and, per House financial reporting disclosures rules, is not required to disclose his federal employee retirement funds,” Cammack stated.

“It’s clear now with Speaker Johnson at the helm that the people’s House is run by just that — a man of the people. I find it deeply hypocritical that Democrats and the leftist media are upset about Speaker Johnson when their own former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a multimillionaire,” she added.

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