Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who played a significant role in aiding former President Donald Trump's efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, is scheduled to deliver remarks alongside Trump on the topic of 'election integrity' on Friday.
Following the 2020 election, Johnson actively supported Trump's attempts to dispute the election outcome, which included baseless claims of widespread voter fraud and rigged results. Despite operating largely behind the scenes and within his Louisiana district, Johnson played a crucial part in advancing Trump's agenda to overturn the legitimate election results.
Like many other Republicans, Johnson questioned the legitimacy of President Joe Biden's victory and expressed concerns about the expansion of mail-in voting, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. These concerns align with common GOP criticisms of mail-in voting, despite the fact that instances of voter fraud in US elections are extremely rare.
Additionally, Johnson promoted a particularly unfounded conspiracy theory that alleged voting technology companies, Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems, orchestrated a scheme to switch millions of votes from Trump to Biden as part of an international plot.
Johnson's upcoming appearance with Trump to discuss 'election integrity' underscores his continued involvement in the post-election narrative that seeks to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 election results. The event is expected to reignite debates surrounding voter fraud and election security, as well as the impact of baseless conspiracy theories on the democratic process.