Last week’s spending bill fiasco on Capitol Hill may have signaled the end of Rep. Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) tenure as House speaker.
And his fate may just rest in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump, according to three House Republicans who shared their growing frustrations with Johnson to the Daily Caller.
“Mike Johnson’s disastrous handling of the continuing resolution unquestionably left his future speakership imperiled with several members rethinking whether they can back him in January,” one congressional Republican who was granted anonymity told the publication. “Much will depend on if Donald Trump’s support for the Speaker remains firm."
That suggestion was also echoed by a second House Republican, who told the publication: “Trump would have to go all in to save him and even then it’s a massive lift."
Johnson faced a chaotic week in Washington but managed to wrangle enough congressional support to push through a temporary spending bill on Friday and avert a government shutdown as the holiday season kicked off and lawmakers went on break.
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The heightened tensions on Capitol Hill after the bill’s collapse midweek prompted suggestions that the Louisiana Republican should be replaced as speaker – with tech billionaire Elon Musk even floated as a possible replacement by some Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). Notably, the House speaker does not have to be an elected member of Congress.
"There’s nothing Mike Johnson can do between now and the Speaker’s race to regain the trust of Republicans in Congress," another Republican in Congress told the Daily Caller on Tuesday. "He’s as lame of a duck as Joe Biden."
So far, no other congressional Republican has announced plans to challenge Johnson for his job and Trump has, as of yet, not weighed in publicly on next month’s vote.