Johnson’s claim that Biden election was ‘God’s will’ slammed by Bannon

Steve Bannon, a Trump administration insider, criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson's assertion that the election of Joe Biden to the presidency was "God's will," contending that the nation requires a "house speaker" not a "theologian," as The Hill reported.

Bannon played a clip of Johnson's remarks on Wednesday during an episode of his War Room podcast, advising his audience to “be prepared to have your heads blow up" and indicating his belief that Johnson was betraying former President Donald Trump by treating Biden as some sort of divinely chosen commander in chief.

When asked on Wednesday whether he considers the Biden presidency to be "God's will," Johnson responded that he is a “Bible-believing Christian.”

“The Bible says that God is the one that raises up people and authority. I believe God is sovereign — by the way, so did the founders,” Johnson said.

“They acknowledge that our rights don’t come from government, they come from God, and we’re made in His image, everybody’s made the same. We all are given equal rights and value and that’s something that we defend. So if you believe all those things, then you believe that God is the one that allows people to be raised in authority. It must’ve been God’s will then, that’s my belief," he went on.

Bannon's Reaction

Bannon interjected during the clip, and asserted, “Yo, dude, he’s an illegitimate president. Have you lost your freaking mind? This election was stolen.”

“Don’t be a theologian, I don’t need a theologian. He is the Speaker of the House. That’s what the country needs. Joe Biden’s not a legitimate president of the United States,” Bannon continued. “No to the Speaker. So no, God did not raise him up.”

After leaving the Trump White House in August 2017 due to ongoing feuds with senior staffers and the former president, Bannon has recently defended the president, going so far as to support Trump's accusations that the 2020 election was rigged.

The 147 Republican members of the House of Representatives who voted against certifying the 2020 election results, including Johnson, brought the topic of election denialism back into the national discourse after his election as speaker in October.

Johnson has been vocal in his support for Trump and has taken the lead in drafting an amicus brief that backs a Texas lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results.

Johnson's Religious Background

The speaker is a Southern Baptist, and his views on abortion and the wall of separation between church and state are influenced by his faith. This has made him a target of criticism.

In his first speech as speaker in October, Johnson said God has “allowed and ordained each and every one of us to be here at this specific moment,” which prompted the recent question about the Biden presidency.