Secret ballot could handcuff Trump bailing out Mike Johnson: 'He's got a lot less stroke'

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is expected to face multiple powerful challengesto his leadership after the midterms, and President Donald Trump may not be able to help him, according to the Washington Sun.

With House Republicans facing the prospect of minority status next year and Trump headed for "lame duck" status, some GOP lawmakers believe the president’s backing won’t close the deal for Johnson if he runs to stay on as the party’s top elected leader, the Sun reported.

“Not one bit,” one GOP lawmaker, given anonymity to speak freely, told the Sun when asked if Trump’s endorsement matters. “Especially if we have lost, because people will blame him.”

The Sun noted that Trump’s endorsement and phone calls helped sway holdouts so ex-Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) could win the speakership in 2023. After McCarthy was ousted, Trump helped sink Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer’s speaker bid with a Truth Social post saying Emmer was “totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters.” Trump later pressured reluctant members to rally around Johnson, who secured the gavel in January 2025.

Johnson has made clear he wants to lead his conference whether or not Republicans keep the majority, the Sun reported. Two White House officials told the outlet Trump still backs him. But members say the path "won’t be easy."

“He will not run unopposed,” one senior GOP member said.

The Sun reported that two other Republicans are laying groundwork to lead the conference next year. Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LS) is popular with many members, who see him as personable, loyal and a savvy operator. Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) has been traveling and raising money for colleagues over the past year in what many view as building support for a run.

"Trump will have a bit more sway if Republicans retain the majority because lawmakers will have to publicly cast their ballot for speaker on the House floor," the Sun's Kadia Goba and Reese Gorman wrote, before elaborating, "But, in the minority, members will vote via secret ballot the week after the midterms in a closed-door election, where Republican lawmakers say Trump’s power diminishes dramatically."

“If we win, then POTUS runs the show, as always,” one lawmaker pointed out to the Sun. “But if we lose, he’s got a lot less stroke.”