Mike Johnson Shows (hypothetical) Hints of Daylight with Trump: Ever since he became Speaker of the House in the fall of 2023, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), has done little to disabuse anyone of the notion that he’s a full-on loyalist to Donald Trump.
fter all, his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted from office by a group of Trump ultra-loyalists, led by Matt Gaetz.
As a result of that loyalty, Trump backed Johnson to remain as speaker when he returned to the presidency, even whipping votes to make sure Johnson kept the gavel.
Therefore, the implication is that if Trump wanted a different House speaker in place tomorrow, he has the power to make it so.
In a series of interviews this week, to commemorate the first 100 days of the second Trump presidency, Johnson talked a bit about his relationship with Trump and what it’s been like.
“Roller Coaster” Called Donald Trump
“Why is the American public souring on his policies?” CNN’s Manu Raju asked Johnson.
“Listen, you know, presidential terms are roller coasters sometimes… There’s been a little tumult in the markets with the tariff policy and all of that, but I think all this is settling out.”
In a different interview, on stage at Axios’ News Shapers event, Johnson was asked what he would do if he ever thought Trump was overstepping Congress’s constitutional authority when it comes to tariffs.
“I think the executive has a broad array of authority that’s been recognized over the years,” Johnson said in the Axios interview. “If it gets close to where the imbalance is, then we would step in.” Johnson added that he would “call the president” if it ever got to that point.
What of the “Big Beautiful Bill”?
The first 100 days of Trump’s presidency, while full of activity like executive orders and the actions of DOGE, did not include the passage of any major pieces of legislation.
Most of the GOP’s legislative hopes are wrapped up in the spending and budget bill, which Trump refers to as the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Speaker Johnson declared Monday that it’s now “game time” for the bill, which is being drafted by House committees.
“We’ve been working on it for over a year, and now is game time,” Johnson told CNN, adding that “this next few weeks is going to be critical.”
However, passing a bill that satisfies Trump and every faction of the House Republican caucus, with a small majority in the House, is going to be a heavy lift for Johnson, even before the question of whether the House’s version of the Big Beautiful Bill can pass the Senate.
Even at this early stage, there are complications. Politico reported Wednesday that “the megabill has mega issues.” According to the report, “cracks are deepening on critical issues, including Medicaid, food aid, and even lower-profile issues like transportation funding.” If enough Republicans are a hard no on certain things, it could torpedo the entire package.
Johnson had originally said he hoped to have a version ready by Memorial Day, with July 4 now looking more like a realistic deadline.
Johnson, an MSNBC op-ed said, “has two main jobs in funding President Donald Trump’s regressive agenda: setting deadlines and counting votes. He has yet to prove he’s particularly adept at either, which makes it unlikely he’ll get Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” through the House by Memorial Day as he hopes.”
How Long Will Johnson Be Speaker?
Unless something happens to collapse his support, or Trump suddenly turns on him, or some other unforeseen event, it appears likely that Johnson will remain speaker for as long as the Republicans continue to control the House of Representatives. While there was constant talk, during McCarthy’s speakership, of a coup against him, that sort of talk has been all but absent for Johnson, especially since Trump’s return.
The test will be whether the party can hold its narrow House majority in the 2026 midterms, or possibly even in a bad run of special elections for the party.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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