Sargent: Mike Johnson's Shockingly Pro-Ukraine Speech Really Sticks It to MAGA [View all]
https://newrepublic.com/article/180808/mike-johnson-pro-ukraine-speech-maga-deep-state-lie
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https://archive.li/PzyPB
It was a remarkable moment: After introducing a package of bills that includes military aid to Ukraine, Mike Johnson flatly told reporters on Wednesday that enabling Ukraine to defend itself is in the best interests of America and the world. This surprised a lot of people who had wrongly assumed the House speaker was effectively functioning as a stooge for Vladimir Putinand Donald Trumpand would thus slow-walk Ukraine aid to death before ever allowing a vote on it.
Johnsons new stance has attracted a good deal of positive attention. But I want to highlight an aspect of it thats been overlooked because its an important tell about the true state of MAGA ideology and what its demanding of Republicans these days.
I really do believe the intel and the briefings that weve gotten, Johnson said, in a moment that became a mini-speech. I think that Vladimir Putin would continue to march through Europe if he were allowed. I think he might go to the Balkans next. I think he might have a showdown with Poland, or one of our NATO allies. If so, he added, we might find ourselves sending troops to defend allies from Putin later.
Did we really hear the speaker say that he believes what our intelligence services have told him about the long-term consequences of cutting off aid to Ukraine?
This is a direct challenge to the MAGA worldview in multiple ways. Johnson is treating Putin as the aggressor in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and acknowledging his broader imperialist designs, which is heresy to some MAGA Republicans. But hes also flatly declaring that on these matters, the deep state is very much to be believed.
*snip*