James Michael Johnson (Mike Johnson) is one of the most popular House Speakers in the Republican Party. The Louisiana native is in his fifth House term, having represented Louisiana’s 4th congressional district since 2017.
He made history in 2023 when he became one of the least experienced Speakers of the House in U.S. history, having served in Congress for fewer than seven years, and without holding prior leadership roles.
Furthermore, the Louisiana State University alum began his career as a constitutional lawyer before entering politics. In 2015, Johnson founded Freedom Guard, a nonprofit law firm that engaged in religious liberty litigation.
Soon after, Mike Johnson entered politics when the 8th District seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives became vacant in 2015, and Jeff R. Thompson was elected as a state district judge.
His position was Washington’s most sought-after. Therefore, Johnson has openly acknowledged the pressure of the role. Speaking on the Katie Miller Podcast in November 2025, he described the Speaker’s role as operating in “survival mode” and compared it to being a mental health counselor.
Consequently, 2025 has been a rough year for Johnson after he was seen taking the blame from every direction, with even Conservative commentators going against him in major decision-making.
“It’s been a tough month for the beleaguered speaker,” political columnist David Lurie wrote this week in Public Notice, describing Johnson as a man “driving his party into the ditch.”
Lurie claimed that the way he was handling the issues had become a new case in self-sabotage, as his intentions to defend the GOP’s position kept backfiring.
The government shutdown, which abruptly halted the Senate on October 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), disrupted essential national security and public safety services after Congress failed to pass a new funding bill. It led to media outlets fueling several false and misleading rumors as the spotlight was on Mike Johnson.
According to The List, in September 2025, a TikTok user claimed to have evidence that Johnson had a Grindr account (the largest social networking app for LGBTQ+ users), alleging access to his profile and IP address.
The user threatened to release the information unless Johnson swore in Arizona Democratic Representative Adelita Grijalva by October 1. When the deadline passed, no evidence was released.
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Moreover, another false rumor arose in October 2025, alleging that Johnson’s wife secretly controlled an LLC that received millions of dollars from entities with business before Congress.
The story falsely claimed that Rachel Maddow had reported this on air. No such report ever occurred. In 2023, The Daily Beast noted that Johnson had not listed any bank accounts on disclosure forms dating back to 2016.
He later explained that his family’s finances were not heavy because most of it went towards the educational expenses for his children. Next, there were also rumors that the Speaker had gone under the knife and opted for plastic surgery.
While there has been no confirmed evidence about it, these theories are common in the MAGA orbit (MAGA effect is actually a real term now) and the American political sphere.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson sparked plastic surgery rumors after appearing with overly puffy cheeks, causing viewers to wonder if he had Botox or filler. https://t.co/XJPBrUd0J7
— The List (@TheListDaily) March 18, 2025
Finally, a rumor surfaced online suggesting Johnson had a business relationship with Stormy Daniels. The claim, originating from a deleted social media post, provided no proper evidence.
Daniels is a well-known adult film star, actress and director who starred in many films, television shows, and bold reality shows. She has won several awards, including the Best New Starlet Award from Adult Video News. She declared herself a Republican candidate on April 6, 2010.
Stormy Daniels denies rumors of ‘business relationship’ with Mike Johnson https://t.co/1qaqdTaqAH
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 14, 2023
These speculations show how the online world can be filled with misinformation. Media outlets thrive on gossip and speculation, which makes most people share false content not because they believe it, but because it reinforces their existing views.
In Mike Johnson’s case, these rumors may continue to follow him throughout his time, regardless of whether they are proven or not.
