President Trump is reportedly unhappy with House Speaker Mike Johnson and is reconsidering his support for him following a recent government funding debacle. According to Politico’s Rachael Bade, Trump is particularly upset that he did not get the debt ceiling hike he wanted in the agreement, which could complicate the passage of his agenda next year. Senate Democrats could use this as an obstruction tool.
Bade’s sources, described as Trump’s “friends” and “confidants,” expressed Trump’s feelings of betrayal by Johnson’s initial deal with Democrats and his skepticism about Johnson’s ability to manage a smaller House majority next year. Some insiders even questioned Johnson’s survival as Speaker.
Trump had repeatedly urged Johnson to address the debt ceiling before his return to the Oval Office. Johnson eventually agreed to Trump’s demand after his initial deal with Democrats fell through. However, things quickly deteriorated when Johnson broke another promise to Trump and did not support a government shutdown as a tactic.
After Johnson failed to deliver on the debt ceiling vote, Trump’s team felt that Johnson had made Trump look foolish. Despite Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance being open to a government shutdown to pressure Democrats, Johnson did not commit to this course of action.
While Trump’s allies do not expect him to explicitly call for Johnson’s removal as Speaker, they believe he will not actively support Johnson in securing the 218 votes needed to remain in the position.
The House of Representatives recently passed a stopgap spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, with 196 Democrats and 34 Republicans voting in favor. The Senate and President Biden also approved the bill.
The path to passage was marred by Johnson’s secret negotiations with Congressional Democrats, resulting in a spending bill loaded with pork projects and controversial provisions. Fortunately, key figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy opposed the bill, and Trump also voiced his disapproval.
Despite initial resistance from some Republicans, the bill was eventually passed. However, the incident highlighted tensions within the House and raised questions about Johnson’s leadership. Trump’s wavering support for Johnson underscores the challenges that lie ahead for the Speaker in managing a divided House majority.
