Speaker of the House Mike Johnson Says the Best Way to Restore the Nation Is to Return God to the Top

Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest has become the premier gathering for the Republican Party, establishing its position as the must-attend event for the most influential figures in the American conservative movement. Presidents, vice presidents, senators, members of Congress, governors, media personalities, donors, strategists, and grassroots activists all come together under one roof to celebrate politics, faith, and patriotism.

On Sunday, December 21, 2025, House Speaker Mike Johnson took the stage at Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest convention, one of the most influential gatherings in modern conservative politics. Speaking before a packed arena—and to a worldwide audience watching via live stream—Johnson spoke of the nation’s moral, cultural, and political challenges. Johnson argued that the best way to restore the nation is to “return God to the top.” His remarks were met with strong applause, showing how faith has become increasingly intertwined with politics, national renewal, and the vision many leaders are now presenting for America’s future direction.

There was a time in American history when “returning to God” meant that individuals, of their own free will, chose to pray more, study the Bible, repent, and live out their faith from personal conviction. This approach is good and fully consistent with the principles of religious freedom, and it is something our nation urgently needs. However, in today’s political and religious climate, calls to “put God back at the top” increasingly signal something very different. A new approach is emerging that seeks to involve state and federal governments in promoting revival, endorsing church teachings, or shaping public life around religious practices. Instead of making faith stronger, this actually weakens it. It takes belief out of the heart and turns it into something politicized by secular institutions and authorities. What should be a personal choice becomes coercion, and what starts as encouragement turns into tyranny.

The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, already has the arduous task of presiding over the U.S. House of Representatives, setting the legislative agenda, and managing debate and voting on bills. He also plays a key role in negotiations with the Senate and the President to help get things done. With the US National Debt currently standing at $38 trillion, Mike Johnson should be leading Congress to confront reckless spending and unchecked deficits. He should hold to account federal agencies that abuse their power and stop the weaponization of government against citizens, churches, journalists, and political opponents.

Mike Johnson should be addressing censorship involving social media, secret government coordination with private platforms, and all other threats to open and free speech. He can help work on improving security in elections nationwide. And if he runs out of things to do, he should work on fixing inflation, housing costs, healthcare affordability, and economic stagnation that are affecting the lives of millions of people.

Rather than giving speeches about bringing back God into government, our politicians should just do their jobs and keep out of religious matters. True biblical Christianity does not need the arm of the government to advance its mission. The moment revival is driven by federal policy, public funding, or official endorsements, it ceases to be revival and becomes a tool for government control—undermining the very freedom of conscience that allows faith to be genuine in the first place.

“The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance” (Great Controversy, p. 592).