Mike Johnson: "If we were to lose the midterms, heaven forbid, these Democrats…will turn every committee of Congress into an investigative body and they will go after the president's family, the cabinet, his donors, and friends. Half of you in this room will be targeted. I run the protection program. I'll take care of you." This is just straight-up extortion language. The Speaker of the House is openly telling donors and allies that he'll shield them from accountability if they keep Republicans in power. It's not even coded. He's selling protection from investigation like a mob boss. Fits the pattern: Johnson already got caught looting campaign funds and responded with conspiracy nonsense. Now he's full-on threatening retaliation against oversight while promising to run a "protection program" for the in-group. This is what authoritarianism actually looks like.