Mike Johnson worked with Libs of TikTok to promote Trump’s bogus voting bill

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Chaya Raichik Photo: Composite via Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK via IMAGN

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) coordinated with numerous far-right social media influencers — including Chaya Raichik, who goes by Libs of TikTok — to promote a bogus voting reform bill that Johnson introduced last week alongside former President Donald Trump (R). The bill sought to ban non-citizens from voting — something that’s already banned by federal law.

The proposed bill was shared with far-right influencers long before Trump and Johnson publicly unveiled it on Friday, according to NBC News. Libs of TikTok, DC_Draino, EndWokeness, Turning Point USA, and Ryan Fournier, chair of Students for Trump, all posted social media messages promoting the bill. Many of the aforementioned influencers also push anti-LGBTQ+ messaging.

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“Democrats are purposely importing millions of criminal illegal aliens for their voter base while removing voter ID requirements so they can rig our elections,” Chaya wrote, repeating an untrue and disproven right-wing claim. She added that Congress needed to pass the bill, entitled the “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility” [SAVE] Act.”

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Right-wingers have repeated similar claim as evidence of a shadowy Democrat plot to “steal” elections. However, a study of the 2016 election found just 30 incidents of non-citizens managing to vote nationwide. Federal law says that non-citizens who illegally vote can face fines, up to a year in prison, and deportation. No state allows non-citizens to cast ballots in state-level elections.

It’s common for politicians to share plans and announcements with media influencers to coordinate ways of building public support for their policies before publicly sharing the policies.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ (R) office coordinated directly with Raichik and other right-wing media outlets to push disinformation defending his signing of the now-infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill in late March 2022.

Raichik’s past campaigns against LGBTQ+-allied hospitals and educators have repeatedly resulted in death and bombing threats against those she highlights. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) recently added Raichik to its public database of extremist individuals, organizations, and ideologies.

Johnson, who has many ties to Christian Nationalists, has worked for the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). While there, he argued that gay sex should be illegal. He has said that same-sex marriage will lead to “chaos and sexual anarchy,” people trying to marry their pets, and “pedophiles” seeking legal protections for having sex with kids. He has said, “Homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural… ultimately harmful and costly for everyone.” He is also a proponent of debunked attempts to turn gay people straight.

As a member of Congress, he introduced a federal version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, claimed that President Joe Biden broke federal law by flying the Progress Pride flag outside the White House, and said that parents don’t have the right to help their children obtain gender-affirming healthcare.

Johnson serves on the board of a Christian publishing company that says MPOX is the “appropriate penalty” for being gay. His wife runs a counseling service that compares LGBTQ+ identities to bestiality. Johnson has also said that America is “dark and depraved” because there are too many LGBTQ+ people.