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Hardline Rep. Tim Burchett lauds Speaker Johnson for not cheating on his wife

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Hardline Rep. Tim Burchett lauds Speaker Johnson for not cheating on his wife

GOP Rep. Tim Burchett lauded House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday for not cheating on his wife — while in the same breath apparently throwing shade at the speaker’s predecessor.

Burchett (R-Tenn.), 60, has not yet revealed whom he will support to lead House Republicans in the next Congress, but predicted that Johnson (R-La.), 52, would likely prevail in an upcoming speakership battle due to his honesty and integrity.

“I think he ultimately will. I think that the die has been cast pretty much. But as I stated, I will make up my mind on Friday,” he told Fox News’ “Your World” on Monday.

Tim Burchett indicated he will make up his mind on the day of the speakership contest this Friday. Getty Images

“Mike’s been a good friend to me and there is nobody more honest that I have dealt with in Washington,” Burchett went on. “He is a Christian man. He doesn’t cheat on his wife and I find that very appealing in Washington, DC.”

That bit about infidelity appears to be a nod to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who has long faced speculation and rumors about being unfaithful to his wife.

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Back in 2015, during the aftermath of the resignation of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), for example, McCarthy was accused of having an affair with a sitting member of the House — former Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) — in an anonymous Wikipedia posting.

That post was later removed but loomed large when McCarthy abruptly withdrew from consideration for the speakership at the time. McCarthy and the other rep denied the accusations.

Burchett had been one of eight Republicans who banded together with a solid bloc of Democrats to oust McCarthy in the fall last year.

He later voted against a May effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to topple Johnson after he brought up a vote on legislation to re-up aid to war-torn Ukraine.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had clashed with Rep. Tim Burchett. Getty Images

The architect of the mutiny against McCarthy, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) — who has openly fessed up to being a womanizer prior to his marriage — chimed in and echoed Burchett.

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“We all know who Burchett is talking about… Total f–king savage,” Gaetz wrote on X.

Just last week, the House Ethics Committee voted to release a damning ethics report accusing Gaetz of using illicit drugs and shelling out over $90,000 to 12 different women between 2017 and 2020 in exchange for sex.

Speaker Mike Johnson has been married to Kelly since 1999. AP

Most alarmingly, the panel accused him of having sex with a minor — something Gaetz has denied.

The Sunshine State Republican also accused the committee of smearing him and cast aspersions on the claims of him paying for sex.

McCarthy has claimed Gaetz ousted him for his refusal to quash the ethics probe — something the soon-to-be One America News Network TV anchor has denied.

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“Mike’s been a good friend to me and there is nobody more honest that I have dealt with in Washington,” Burchett said. “He is a Christian man. He doesn’t cheat on his wife and I find that very appealing in Washington, DC.”

Earlier this year, the former speaker further speculated that Gaetz might be cheating on his wife — but did not provide evidence.

Johnson will fight to keep the speaker’s gavel during a speakership vote on Friday.

Already, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has indicated he will vote against Johnson, and others such as Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) have said they are on the fence.

President-elect Donald Trump formally endorsed Johnson on Monday, giving him a potential boost despite his stamp of approval failing to nudge Massie, Biggs or Spartz.

Gaetz has also urged Republicans not to oppose Johnson.

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Video: Trump Mocks Obama, Biden in His Presidential ‘Walk of Fame’

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Video: Trump Mocks Obama, Biden in His Presidential ‘Walk of Fame’

new video loaded: Trump Mocks Obama, Biden in His Presidential ‘Walk of Fame’

The White House unveiled new plaques near the Oval Office mocking some of President Trump’s predecessors. The new display distorts history and aligns with Mr. Trump’s worldview.

By Chris Cameron and Jackeline Luna

December 18, 2025

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Is ISIS making a comeback? : Sources & Methods

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Is ISIS making a comeback? : Sources & Methods
The terrorist group has been linked to the mass shooting in Australia and a deadly attack in Syria. What do these two attacks reveal about the group’s strength?Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and Middle East correspondent Jane Arraf about how the Islamic State has adapted in a post-caliphate world and what American forces are doing in Syria.Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.orgNPR+ supporters hear every episode without sponsor messages and unlock access to our complete archive. Sign up at plus.npr.org.
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BBC Verify Live: Fact-checking Trump’s unusual new White House presidential plaques

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BBC Verify Live: Fact-checking Trump’s unusual new White House presidential plaques

Videos show rebels on the move in eastern DRC city Uvirapublished at 12:49 GMT

Peter Mwai
BBC Verify senior journalist

We have verified video showing fighters belonging to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group on the move in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after M23 announced a withdrawal from the city of Uvira in South Kivu province which it seized a week ago.

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The M23 had taken contorl of Uvira despite a ceasefire deal agreed between the governments of Rwanda and DRC and had come under increasing diplomatic pressure to withdraw its forces from the city.

The DRC government has reacted with scepticism, with a spokesperson asking on XL “Where are they going? How many were there? What are they leaving behind in the city? Mass graves? Soldiers disguised as civilians?”

We can’t tell where they are heading, but in the footage we have verified the fighters, together with vehicles, move north past the Uvira police headquarters.

We confirmed where the clips were filmed by matching the distinctively painted road kerbs, buildings and trees to satellite imagery.

The leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a coalition of rebel groups which includes the M23 group, had announced on Monday that the group would withdraw from the city as a “trust-building measure”.

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It followed a request from the US which has been mediating between the governments of Rwanda and DRC.

The rebels remained present in the city after the announcement but on Wednesday M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma announced the group had begun withdrawing troops. The group said it intends to complete the withdrawal today, but has warned against militarisation.

Image source, X
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