House speaker Mike Johnson has drawn backlash after publicly using Bible passages to defend the Trump administration’s stance on immigration.
It came after Pope Leo cited Matthew 25:35, and urged “deep reflection” on how migrants are treated in the United States, as he criticised mass deportations.
In response, Johnson later published a 1,300-word post on X, setting out what he described as the biblical case for border security and immigration enforcement.
“So you want me to give you a theological dissertation?” Johnson said to reporters on Tuesday, before adding that “sovereign borders are biblical and right and just.”
“People of all religious faiths should support a strong national border and Christians certainly should,” Johnson wrote online, arguing critics were citing Bible verses “out of context.”
He added that supporting strong borders was “a very Christian thing to do,” insisting the Bible required governments to uphold law and order.
The Southern Baptist congressman was responding to a question from Migrant Insider editor Pablo Manríquez, who asked how he would reply to Pope Leo’s criticism.
He said civil authorities were required by scripture “to maintain order,” and defended border enforcement by saying: “It’s not because we hate the people on the outside, it’s because we love the people on the inside.”
The response has triggered widespread criticism online.
Social media users accused Johnson of cherry-picking scripture. One user said: “Watching a politician try to out-Bible the Pope to defend mass deportations is wild. You can dress it up in scripture all you want, but twisting faith to fit policy like this just feels dishonest and cynical.”
Others cited biblical passages about welcoming the stranger and the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt, arguing Johnson’s interpretation conflicted with core Christian teachings.