In late March 2025, social media users began spreading a rumor that U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has an account on Grindr, the gay dating app.
People posted screenshots of an alleged conversation between Johnson and another Grindr user on platforms including Threads, Bluesky and TikTok, where the claim appears to be most popular. Some users also spread the rumor without showing the screenshots.
Speaker Mike Johnson got caught cruising on grindr
[image or embed]— RebelScum83 (An-Com Arc) (@sheenaquatro.bsky.social) March 24, 2025 at 3:33 PM
These rumors originated from TikTok user @cjbakerfitness, who posted two TikTok videos on March 23, 2025, purporting to show Johnson on Grindr. In another March 23 video, @cjbakerfitness claimed the FBI asked him to take the screenshots down and that the images were sent to him by "someone on Instagram" who "said that this was true and had taken place in D.C. and that if I wouldn't mind sharing it, he would really appreciate that."
This claim is unsubstantiated as of this writing, as @cjbakerfitness did not provide the name or any identifying details regarding the supposed person on Instagram who sent him the screenshots, nor did he return a request for comment as of this writing. Screenshots such as the ones posted are easy to fake and cannot be considered legitimate evidence without further proof; the image used of Johnson is publicly available.
Johnson's office did not provide a statement for publication; the FBI did not immediately return a request for comment.
In the supposed Grindr messages between Johnson and another user, Johnson allegedly offered to take the user to "the Dabney," presumably a reference to a Michelin-starred restaurant in Washington, D.C., and one of the most popular restaurants in the district, according to Washingtonian Magazine. Johnson has a wife and often expresses anti-LGBTQ+ views; it seems unlikely he would go on a Grindr date in a setting as public as The Dabney.
The screenshots also show the purported Johnson saying he is trying to be "very discreet" and then sending a picture of Johnson. These comments are inherently contradictory, as Johnson is one of the most recognizable faces on Capitol Hill due to his status and power.
Finally, the picture of Johnson in the screenshots is available (archived) in a March 4, 2025, post on Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser's X account — weeks before @cjbakerfitness initially posted the purported screenshots — meaning it would be easy for someone to make fake screenshots using a cropped version of this photo.
Snopes has previously debunked claims connected to Johnson's socially conservative views, including that he "did extensive studies of homosexual relationships" in college and that he had a business relationship with adult film star Stormy Daniels.