Mike Johnson is returning to his theologian avatar. The House Speaker broke down scripture for the Vicar of Christ. Johnson is a devout Southern Baptist, and on Tuesday, he delivered a theological dissertation, which comes after he was asked to respond to remarks made by Pope Leo XIV about the Trump administration’s immigration agenda amid rampant ICE killings.
Back in November, the pope called for “deep reflection” on how the U.S. administration is treating the migrants in the country. The Chicago-born pontiff also cited a scripture to double down on his criticism. He has always been vocal against many policies implemented by Donald Trump and his administration.
Referencing to Gospel of Matthew, he said, “Jesus says very clearly at the end of the world, we’re going to be asked, you know, how did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not? And I think that there’s a deep reflection that needs to be made in terms of what’s happening.”
Q: Pope Leo cited Matthew 25:35 to critique Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. How would you respond to Pope Leo in scripture?
MIKE JOHNSON: Sovereign borders are biblical and right and just. It’s not because we hate the people on the outside. It’s because we love the… pic.twitter.com/eS4A5dtXRt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 3, 2026
“Many people who’ve lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now,” the Pope added.
Mike Johnson’s response came after he was asked to comment on the matter. On Tuesday, Pablo Manríquez, the MediasTouch reporter, asked him, “Pope Leo has cited Matthew 25:35 to critique Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. How would you respond to Pope Leo in scripture?”
To this, Mike Johnson replied, “So you want me to give you a theological dissertation? All right. I tell you what. I’ll post it on my website later today, but let me give you a quick summary.” He then insisted that the Bible says, “assimilation is expected and anticipated and proper.”
“When someone comes into your country, comes into your nation, they do not have the right to change its laws or to change a society. They’re expected to assimilate. We haven’t had a lot of that going on,” said the House Speaker.
In the press gaggle following today’s vote, I was asked to defend the Biblical case for border security and immigration enforcement. I did so, and then promised to post a longer explanation that I drafted during the Biden Administration. Here it is, and I hope it’s helpful:… pic.twitter.com/tHC4kf7uEC
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 3, 2026
Johnson insisted that scriptures also require civil authorities to maintain order. He criticized the Joe Biden administration for failing to do so. “We did not take care of our borders,” said Johnson. “We should love our neighbor as ourselves, as individuals, but as a civil authority, the government has to maintain the law, and that is biblical,” he added.
Mike Johnson did not stop at his two-minute speech; he went on X (formerly Twitter) to further defend his comments. “Despite the unfounded claims of the Left, supporting a strong national border is a very Christian thing to do. The Bible tells us so,” he said.
