Republicans have their election denier, and they’re not even trying to deny it

One of the biggest objections that so-called moderate Republicans lodged against Rep. Jim Jordan as a candidate for speaker of the House was his election denial. For the 18 Republicans in districts won by President Joe Biden, staying away from those who embraced the worst of election denial seemed like a line in the sand.

Then those same Republicans got out the broom and erased that line by voting for Rep. Mike Johnson.

Because Johnson wasn’t just a Jan. 6 supporter, he was an architect of the entire scheme. From planning to steal the votes of millions of Americans to making false claims about voting machines, Johnson worked to support the Big Lie at every stage. No member of Congress did more to overturn the 2020 election. And every Republican who voted for him just voted to endorse Johnson’s efforts to end American democracy.