Free Republic

VIDEOAll his life Mike Johnson thought he was Mike Johnson. And then on May 8, 2024, in the middle of an interview with Politico, Mike Johnson suddenly discovered that he is really Flounder.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) supports retaliating against Republicans who oppose him, he reportedly told high-dollar donors at the swanky Four Seasons in Washington. Johnson signaled to the high-powered group at a fundraiser on Sunday that he would support kicking members who blocked his coalition government’s legislative agenda off committees. He also said he is in favor of changing House rules – such as rules on the motion to vacate – at the end of this Congress

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) received a stunning rebuke Wednesday on what should have been a slam-dunk resolution to oppose antisemitism followed by a rare procedural defeat on legislation to clarify mining regulations. The events, hours after Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) announced they would force a vote to expel Johnson, do little to show Johnson has a firm hand on the wheel. The Antisemitism Awareness Act, introduced by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Jared Moskowitz (R-FL), would mandate that when the Department of Education enforces federal anti-discrimination laws it uses a definition of antisemitism put forward...

MICHAEL WHATLEY, the newly installed RNC co-chair, had already briefed Greene’s fellow House Republicans on the importance of party unity that morning, but Greene didn’t show. He delivered his pointed message to her personally: Don’t move against Johnson. “He said, one, this is not helpful, and two, we want to expand and grow the majority in the House,” said a person familiar with Whatley’s message to Greene. “He was clear that any disruption to the conference on these efforts — including filing this [motion to vacate], does not help the case for party unity.” In another era, a directive from...

Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) found himself in an unusual position for a minority leader last week: It was he, not the House speaker, who had the ultimate power to decide whether legislation came to the floor.Why it matters: Democrats got everything they wanted – a $95 billion foreign aid bill, the credit for passing it, and adversaries more divided than ever. In their telling, that total victory wasn't a sure thing.Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a master legislative tactician, heaped praise on her successor: "He is fabulous. We're so proud of him." One senior House Democrat told Axios: "It easily...

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said his sons almost drowned after he had dinner with former President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida last fall, according to a new profile on Johnson by The Atlantic. The Speaker visited Palm Beach, Fla., the week of Thanksgiving for a fundraiser, and he and his sons had dinner with the former president while on the trip, according to The Atlantic. The following day, Johnson’s security detail came into a conference room when he was meeting with donors at a hotel near the beach and told him “Mr. Speaker, we need you right...

The Senate has approved a massive $95 billion emergency foreign aid package with no U.S. border security. A group of RINOs joined Democrats to support the bill. The measure passed by a vote of 79 to 18. The passing of the bill saw 48 Democrats joined by 31 Republicans in favor, with the majority of the RINOs supporting the foreign aid efforts. However, 15 Republicans broke ranks to vote against the package, joining three Democrats in opposition. The finalized bill encompasses extensive provisions: $47.7 billion through the Defense Department to support Ukraine’s military with training, equipment, weapons, and logistical aid....

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is making his first fundraising trip since passing Ukraine aid over the objections of the majority of his party, traveling to Texas to campaign for one of House conservatives’ biggest nemeses. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), days after joining Democrats in promising to save Johnson’s job, will host Johnson for a series of fundraising events on Tuesday. The events are expected to rake in around $300,000 for Gonzales’s reelection bid. Gonzales has played a significant role in House Republicans’ leftward swing, undermining conservatives and, at times, the House Republican Conference agenda despite Republicans ostensibly holding the majority....

“Look, we have a majority of one, OK? It’s not like he can go and do whatever he wants to do,” Trump, 77, told radio host John Fredericks on Real America’s Voice Monday night. “I think he’s a very good person. You know, he stood very strongly with me on NATO,” added Trump, referring to a campaign rally in which he urged member states to pay more for their common defense — or he would let Russia “do whatever the hell they want.” “I think he’s trying very hard,” the 45th president concluded.Johnson (R-La.) bucked the majority of his conference...

Former President Donald Trump offered words of praise for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., saying he is "trying very hard" and is "a very good person." His comments came Monday evening during an interview with Real America's Voice radio host John Fredericks. "Look, we have a majority of one [in the House]," Trump said. "It's not like he can go and do whatever he wants. I think he's a very good person. I think he's a very good man. I think he's trying very hard. And, again, we have to have a very big election" to increase the Republican majority...