October 02 2025, 08:15 
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough was outraged that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who has made his Christian faith central to his political brand, is lying so much about the current federal government shutdown.
Johnson has been saying that the shutdown happened because Democrats want federal funding for health care subsidies for undocumented immigrants. That is not true; Democrats are demanding an extension to tax credits under the Affordable Care Act that undocumented immigrants are not eligible for. The credits are set to expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t act and will result in higher health insurance costs for millions of American citizens.
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Despite previously being called out for lying about this, Johnson repeated this lie on CNN and was called out by CNN host Kaitlan Collins.
On MSNBC, Scarborough called out Johnson for saying he’s Christian but lying to advance his agenda.
“This time the lie from the speaker of the House, Mister ‘I rule by the Bible,’ spreading an unambiguous lie — an unambiguous lie, going into this government shutdown,” Scarborough said. “They’re lying to their own supporters. They’re lying to their own constituents. They’re lying to their own followers, saying Democrats want to shut down the government because they want to give great health care benefits to illegal immigrants. “
“It’s a total lie,” he said, astonished. “So I’m wondering where in the Bible does Mike Johnson read Jesus saying, ‘You know what, tell the truth. Except, well, when it might serve you well politically, and then just lie. And why don’t you, while you’re lying, why don’t you spread lies about those who are on the outskirts of society? Those who are suffering right now the most? Why do you lie about the weakest among us, Mikey?’”
“But that’s what he’s doing — he’s spreading the lie,” Scarborough added. “The president’s spreading the lie, all the Republicans are lying through their teeth. And any podcaster today that spreads this lie, anybody on other news networks that spreads this lie, knows exactly what they’re doing. There is no Democratic plan to give health care, Cadillac benefits to illegal immigrants. It’s not even legal.”
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