Today, House Speaker Mike Johnson, as we were just discussing, has narrowly held on to his

gavel.

After a protracted vote and some last minute cajoling, Johnson was re-elected speaker by a single

vote on the first ballot, and then he celebrated his victory with a prayer.

It is said each day of his eight years of the presidency, and every day

thereafter until his death, President Thomas Jefferson recited this prayer. It goes like this.

Thomas Jefferson's Prayer for the Nation, it's entitled, Almighty God, who has given us this good

land for our heritage, we humbly beseech thee,

that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will.

It is said, but it was not so. That was how Mike Johnson chose to begin the 119th Congress of the prayer that it is said.

Thomas Jefferson recited every day of his presidency and every day thereafter until his death.

Thomas Jefferson's historic home, Monticello, is a world heritage site.

And on Monticello's website, you can find a lot of useful historical resources,

including a whole section dedicated

to spurious quotations, where historians debunk all the fake quotes that get attributed to our

nation's third president. It's a helpful resource for anyone with a crazy uncle who posts

apocryphal quotes from dead historical figures on Facebook. It would probably also

been helpful resource for writing a Speaker of the House acceptance speech. Here's what Monticello

had to say about the prayer that Mike Johnson claims Thomas Jefferson delivered every single

day. Quote, we have no evidence that this prayer was written or delivered by Thomas Jefferson.

Ultimately, it seems unlikely that Jefferson would have composed or delivered a public prayer of this sort, end quote.

Sort of fitting that Mike Johnson would begin his new term as speaker by rewriting history.

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