Warnock meets with House Speaker Mike Johnson after criticizing his faith

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Devout Southern Baptist Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, R-La., met with the leader of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., on Tuesday after the pastor publicly criticized his faith.

During a New York Times Q&A published Monday, Warnock was asked about Johnson praying ahead of the passage of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, which critics contend will cut spending on federal Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program by nearly $1 trillion over the next 10 years.

“For me, the acid test of one's faith is the depth of your commitment to the people who are on the margins. And I'm a Matthew 25 Christian,” Warnock said during the interview.

“I don't understand how you read that, say a long prayer, ... hold hands with your fellow legislators, and then cut a trillion dollars, $1 trillion out of Medicaid, calling it waste, fraud and abuse,” the senator said. “What are you saying about those people? And so, in light of that, for me, I have to ask whether the religion is more performative than substantive.”

Warnock noted that “the speaker has a certain agenda and a certain view,” which informs his decisions, but stated that “there were many Christians on the wrong side of slavery.”

“They were on the wrong side of Jim Crow's segregation. And so part of the obligation, I think, of a person of faith is to ask yourself, What are you actually worshiping? What are you actually committed to? Are you committed to the poor? Are you committed to the despised and the rejected? Would Jesus agree with the actions of ICE in this moment?” Warnock asked. 

Both Warnock and a spokesperson for Johnson confirmed to Politico that the speaker requested a meeting after the New York Times interview was published.

Warnock said the approximately 30-minute meeting was “honest, candid,” and “respectful,” but they “agreed to disagree” about the policy on the cuts. They engaged more humanely, however, during their discussion of faith.

“We also talked about our faith and our upbringing, and that, for me, was important because I think just at a human level it would help around this place if we had more authentic conversations across our differences,” Warnock told Politico.

“The stakes are too high for us to be engaged in political fencing around here and not have authentic conversations at a human level about why you believe what you believe,” he explained, stating that they exchanged numbers and promised to stay in touch.

“I left hopeful that we might have more of that kind of conversation,” he said.

Johnson also released a statement to the publication stressing the need for healthy dialogue on public policy.

“I was happy to meet with Senator Warnock today and have a positive, fruitful discussion about matters of faith and our different opinions regarding public policy,” the House Speaker said. “Such dialogue is important because it is always more productive to have these conversations face to face.”