Thursday’s CBS Evening News chose continue to early browbeating of the public into turning against the calm and steady new House Speaker, Mike Johnson (R-LA) by trashing him as “anti-LGBTQ,” “an election denier, climate skeptic,” and “staunch conservative” whose overall politics is riddled with “far-right stances.”
Fill-in anchor Adriana Diaz was digging Johnson’s grave in an opening tease: “Mike Johnson takes up the gavel as speaker of the House and begins defending his record as an election denier, climate skeptic and his anti-LGBTQ views.”
Later, Diaz led into congressional correspondent Nikole Killion’s segment with more ominous language about Johnson: “Until now, the staunch conservative was little known outside his state and party and...he is remaining tight-lipped about some of his positions.”
The chyron was more fitting of something from CNN’s Chyron Boy or MSNBC’s Rich, White, Liberal, Wine Mom Story Hour (aka Deadline: White House): “New House Speaker Faces Scrutiny for Far-Right Stances”.
Killion predictably started with his views about the 2020 election:
Johnson continued to dodge questions about his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. [TO JOHNSON] Do you believe the 2020 election was stolen, sir, just yes or no? After the election, Johnson, in coordination with then-President Donald Trump, recruited more than 100 Republicans to sign onto a brief supporting a lawsuit to overturn the results. He also promoted conspiracy theories about rigged voting machine software in a radio interview.
Without evidence, Killion assisted Democrats in getting a head start on conspiracy theories concerning the January 2025 certification of the 2024 presidential election winner: “Democrats are concerned Johnson could again try to block certification of the Electoral College results next year if President Biden wins again.”
Killion made the pivot to other issues, making vague assertions that his “opponents are also singling out his views on abortion rights” followed by a perfectly based and normal clip of Johnson stating in May 2022 that “[t]here is no right to abortion in the Constitution, period.”
As her colleagues on Wednesday night and Thursday morning did, she went down a list of liberal causes and how Johnson has views to the contrary.
“Before entering office, Johnson called abortion a Holocaust that has been repeated every day for 32 years, since 1973's Roe v. Wade. As a congressman, he has co-sponsored at least three bills that would ban the procedure nationwide,” she huffed with concern.
After a soundbite of her asking Johnson if he’d “pursue a national abortion ban” (which he smartly ignored), Killion further wined he would play their games:
But he had nothing to say today about how he will govern going forward. Johnson is also staunchly anti-gay rights. In 2004, he called homosexuality inherently unnatural and voted against legalizing same-sex marriage.
Killion ended on what she and leftists believe is a hopeful note, hoping that Johnson “express[ing] a willingness to work across the aisle” would mean he’d not “inject his personal views”. As always, the liberal media always view “work[ing] across the aisle” as Republicans kowtowing to Democrats.
By Friday morning, the nets had largely moved on from Johnson, aside from an 11-second news brief on ABC’s Good Morning America with co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos noting Johnson met Thursday Johnson needs to address “major challenges, including the looming deadline to avert a government shutdown, funding for Ukraine, and calls for action on gun violence in the wake of the Maine massacre.”
To see the relevant CBS transcript from October 26, click “expand.”
CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell
October 26, 2023
6:31 p.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New Details; Who Is the New House Speaker?]
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): The House will be in order.
ADRIANA DIAZ: Mike Johnson takes up the gavel as speaker of the House and begins defending his record as an election denier, climate skeptic and his anti-LGBTQ views.
(....)
6:43 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New House Speaker]
DIAZ: Back here in Washington, the new speaker of the House, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, met with President Biden today at the White House. Until now, the staunch conservative was little known outside his state and party and, as Nikole Killion reports, he is remaining tight-lipped about some of his positions.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New House Speaker Faces Scrutiny for Far-Right Stances]
NIKOLE KILLION: On his second day on the job, Speaker Mike Johnson continued to dodge questions about his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. [TO JOHNSON] Do you believe the 2020 election was stolen, sir, just yes or no? After the election, Johnson, in coordination with then-President Donald Trump, recruited more than 100 Republicans to sign onto a brief supporting a lawsuit to overturn the results. He also promoted conspiracy theories about rigged voting machine software in a radio interview.
JOHNSON [on KEEL radio, 11/17/20]: When you have, you know, a software system that is used all around the country that is suspect because it came from Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela.
KILLION: Democrats are concerned Johnson could again try to block certification of the Electoral College results next year if President Biden wins again.
HOUSE MINORITY LEADER HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): His track record with respect to trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election speaks for itself.
KILLION: Johnson’s opponents are also singling out his views on abortion rights.
JOHNSON [in May 2022]: There is no right to abortion in the Constitution, period.
KILLION: Before entering office, Johnson called abortion a Holocaust that has been repeated every day for 32 years, since 1973's Roe v. Wade. As a congressman, he has co-sponsored at least three bills that would ban the procedure nationwide. [TO JOHNSON] Do you intend to pursue a national abortion ban as Speaker, sir? But he had nothing to say today about how he will govern going forward. Johnson is also staunchly anti-gay rights. In 2004, he called homosexuality inherently unnatural and voted against legalizing same-sex marriage. Moderate Republicans argue that, despite views they may disagree with, he will be an efficient speaker.
CONGRESSMAN MARC MOLINARO (R-NY): And he recognizes the need that, irrespective of prior positions, he’s going to have to weave us together towards a common goal.
KILLION: Several Republican lawmakers told us they don’t think Speaker Johnson will inject his personal views into his new role. For his part, Johnson also expressed a willingness to work across the aisle, calling his meeting today with President Biden productive, Adriana.
DIAZ: Nikole Killion, thank you.
