Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is cementing his place in President-elect Trump’s inner circle, becoming not only a evident – if somewhat out-of-place – part of his entourage, but also a key supporter of his no-in He proceeds with restraint in his second term.
This vigorous makes the speaker crucial to Trump’s success in his first months in office, both in pushing his agenda and in putting implicit pressure on Republicans in Congress to rubber-stamp Trump’s controversial nominees and legislative plans.
The announcer’s importance in MAGA World was evident when he was part of a UFC fight at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night Parade of allies that accompanied Trump. The crew included Elon Musk; Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence; Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., his choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services; and Donald Trump Jr.
The contrast between the meek, conservative Christian, self-described “Nerdy constitutional lawyer” and the rest of the tough Trump crew were badass.
In response to a selfie Johnson took a snapshot at the UFC fight on Saturday with musicians Kid Rock and Jelly Roll – the latter has facial tattoos – internet jokers compared Johnson “a sheltered Protestant boy who attended a secular concert with his public school friends” and to “The president of the chess club who was invited to hang out with the soccer team.”
But Trump and Johnson have a common interest in quickly pushing through legislation to expand the tax cuts passed in Trump’s first term, among other priorities that Johnson has prioritized has planned with Trump and Senate Republicans for months.
“The President and the Speaker are two very different personalities, but they have exactly the same goal and passion to advance an America First policy agenda that will get our country back on the right track,” said Chairman Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas). Member of the House Budget Committee who is close to Johnson. “Mike is a committed Christian and an expert on politics, but that doesn’t mean he just sits in his room all day praying and studying political memos – he’s one of the funniest guys I know and loves being involved People from all walks of life being together. ”
Arrington noted that Johnson’s sons practiced martial arts.
“For the speaker, however, the pen is mightier than the sword…or the rear naked choke!” said Arrington.
Johnson’s skills aren’t just narrow to the pen. He has also proven himself on television and in other media as an crucial ambassador for Trump’s agenda, which Trump values highly – and thus made a statement on Trump’s side on controversial legislative issues.
The morning after the UFC fight, Johnson appeared on Sunday news shows defending Trump’s positions He gives his controversial cabinet appointments a lifelineincluding former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Trump’s pick to head the Justice Department.
Johnson delved into his Opposition to the release of a report by the House Ethics Committee on Gaetz since he is no longer a member of Congress. The committee had been investigating the Republican from Florida for years over allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug utilize. Gaetz, whom the Justice Department declined to prosecute after investigating the same matter, has strenuously denied wrongdoing.
“I think it would be a Pandora’s box. “I don’t think we want the House Ethics Committee to use all of its enormous resources and authority to go after private citizens,” Johnson said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
The was a departure from his original statement When asked about the possibility of the report being released after Gaetz was announced as Trump’s nominee for attorney general, he said, “The Speaker of the House is not and cannot be involved in this.”
Johnson said on CNN that he initially said the spokesman could not assess the extent of the initial investigation. And he denied having spoken to Trump about the possibility of releasing the ethics report, although he had seen Trump at a gala at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, where he said he would not interfere in the investigation, and at the same time called for the report’s release to remain sealed.
On another show, Johnson left the possibility open Enabling Trump to appoint his Cabinet members through recess appointments, bypassing Senate approval.
Because the Constitution requires that no chamber of Congress may adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other chamber, the House of Representatives – and therefore its speaker – has a say in whether it would be possible for Trump to recess his Cabinet appointments to carry out.
“We will assess this in due course and make the appropriate decision. There may be a function for this; “We’ll have to wait and see how it turns out,” Johnson said on “Fox News Sunday” when asked if he would support the recess appointment.
Despite three-way Republican control, advancing high-risk legislation will be no effortless task given the slim GOP majority in both chambers.
But Johnson’s closeness to Trump could assist him overcome the legislative hurdles and deal with the GOP critics who have wreaked havoc over the past two years, the most rebellious of whom are also staunch Trump supporters.
“We just have to have a UFC fight every weekend, and whoever goes out with Trump, we know who is at the top in their circle,” a Trump ally, who requested anonymity due to job negotiations, told The Hill also mentioned how it would send a signal of Trump’s support to the rebellious Republicans in the House of Representatives.
Johnson is closer to Trump than perhaps any other Republican speaker.
The two talk often. Since the election, Johnson has not only been part of the UFC squad, but has also been traveling back and forth between Washington and Mar-a-Lago.
Johnson gave a speech at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden before the election – where Trump also praised Johnson: “Such a good-looking guy. Only this lovely little face with the glasses got the little glasses.”
“Everyone said, ‘Oh, he’s so nice. He’s such a nice person.’ He’s not a nice person. “He’s not nice at all,” Trump said, referring to a controversial interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in which Trump said Johnson was “beheading.”[d]” the host.
There have been disagreements over strategy between the two over the last year. Trump publicly called for a government shutdown, while Johnson warned that such a move would have negative consequences for the election.
But that hasn’t stopped the two from forging a sturdy alliance – including the fact that the president-elect went out of his way to speak to House Republicans and express his support for Johnson in a closed session on Capitol Hill last week to show.
House Republicans renominated Jonson as speaker later that evening in a unanimous vote.
Brett Samuels contributed.
