Mike Johnson Friendly With Minister Who Said Gays Were Punished by Mpox, Obama Could Be Antichrist

Another anti-LGBTQ+ connection for House Speaker Mike Johnson has come to light: He’s on the board of a right-wing Christian publishing house whose founder and CEO has called mpox a punishment for being gay, suggested Barack Obama could be the Antichrist, and lamented that condemning homosexuality is no longer socially acceptable.

Johnson has been on the board of Living Waters, a conservative Christian ministry and publishing operation, for the past decade, Politicoreports. The speaker and his wife, Kelly, have interviewed its founder and CEO, Ray Comfort, on their podcast.

Comfort, a minister and evangelist, has a history of radically anti-LGBTQ+ stances, as detailed in the Politico article. In narrating a Living Waters video on the mpox — formerly known as monkeypox — outbreak last year, he posited that it was a “gay disease,” saying those who engage in gay sex will find “in their own bodies the inevitable and appropriate penalty for their wrongdoing.”

In March, he published an article on the Living Waters website expressing disappointment that people can no longer denounce homosexuality in polite society. “Many are quick to paint Christians as evil because they know that we stand firmly on the biblical truth that homosexuality (along with adultery and fornication) is morally wrong,” he wrote. “There was a time in America when we could say these things without any real repercussions. But times have radically changed.”

In a pamphlet for sale on the Living Waters site, Comfort wrote that people who are gay or allies “are sitting in a car on a railroad track with a train coming, and you don’t know it.”

An article he published last month speculated that the Israel-Hamas war may bring about the coming of the Antichrist, the evil opponent of Jesus Christ who will appear toward the end of the world and bring “false peace” to the Middle East. He said Obama could be the Antichrist because of his “leanings toward Islam,” or possibly King Charles III of the U.K., as he is “able to speak some Arabic.” The possibilities cross ideological lines, however, as he also mentioned Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. He admitted he doesn’t know who the Antichrist is.

A Johnson spokesperson told Politico that Comfort’s views aren’t the same as Johnson’s. “Speaker Johnson joined the board of Living Waters years ago in support of its mission of spreading Christian gospel,” the spokesperson said. “His involvement was limited to two phone calls with fellow board members annually. He had not seen the content in question, was not aware of it, and does not agree with it.”

Comfort would not comment on the matter.

In a podcast interview between Johnson and Comfort, Johnson said he is a “big fan” of Comfort and his ministry, adding, “I cannot overstate what a profound influence you’ve been in my life and my walk with Christ and so many other people that I know, and I’m just really grateful for all that you do and the team at Living Waters.”

Johnson met Comfort while representing him in a legal case, according to Politico. Before seeking elective office, Johnson was a lawyer with the Alliance Defense Fund, now known as Alliance Defending Freedom, which specializes in representing religious conservatives. Johnson has been on the board of Living Waters since 2013.

Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, was elected speaker of the U.S. House last month. “Johnson’s spokesperson said that given his new role as speaker, he will be reconsidering all of his outside obligations, including his service on the board of Living Waters,” Politico reports. “But no decisions have been made yet.”

Politico credited political watchdog group Accountable.US with flagging Johnson’s ties to Living Waters.