ON their fourth try, the House’s ruling Republicans finally elected a new speaker: Louisiana representative Mike Johnson — a man who not only denied Joe Biden’s election as president in the infamous events of January 6 2021, but before that rounded up other Republicans to support a Texas scheme to toss the 2020 election out.

With his elevation to the top job in Congress, no-one can argue that the Trumpite “Maga” (make America great again) faction of the Republican Party is just a fringe element. Maga is now in charge; this is Trump’s party, through and through.

Republicans have just unanimously elected a Speaker who is the architect of House Republican efforts to overturn the 2020 election, voted against the Violence Against Women Act, voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act, voted against legislation to codify marriage equality, authored federal legislation attempting to nationalise Florida’s infamous “don’t say gay” law, and co-sponsored legislation to turn health professionals who provide gender-affirming care into felons.