Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) praised House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) for not having an extramarital affair, saying that is an admirable trait in Washington DC.
Johnson is facing backlash from hardline members of the Republican conference for working with Democrats on a bipartisan funding bill earlier this month.
With a razor-thin majority in the next Congress, Johnson cannot afford to lose more than one Republican vote for Speaker, if every member is present and votes for a candidate.
Trump offered Johnson a boost on Monday when he endorsed him for speaker in a post on Truth Social writing, “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!”
In an interview on Fox News’ Your World on Monday night Burchett, a hardline conservative member of the House who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.), hinted that he might support Johnson because he’s “honest”.
“I think he [Johnson] ultimately will” be selected as speaker, Burchett said in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “I think that the die has been cast pretty much.”
He continued: “But as I stated I will make up my mind on Friday and I will talk to Mike, maybe President Trump even and to discuss some ideas and issues that I have. But Mike’s been a good friend to me and there is nobody more honest that I have dealt with in Washington. He is a fine Christian man, not a religious man, he is a Christian man.”
“He doesn’t cheat on his wife and I find that very appealing in Washington DC,” Burchett added.
