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.

“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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.