NEW BERN, North Carolina — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) insisted GOP leadership is “totally united” amid speculation over who will lead Republicans if the party loses its slim majority in November.
When asked by the Washington Examiner if he’d spoken to members of his leadership circle or President Donald Trump about staying in the top spot, Johnson asserted the entire House Republican leadership is “laser focused on winning a majority.”
“I mean, I’ve asked and answered it every time that, you know, people want to have palace intrigue and drama inside the House. There’s no drama,” Johnson said. “Our leadership team is totally united. We are united in the cause to win.”
Johnson told CBS News last week that he expects his colleagues would ask him to “continue leading this conference,” even if Republicans find themselves in the minority.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) are widely speculated to be top contenders for minority leader should Republicans lose the House. However, Johnson’s signaling he would be interested in staying in the top GOP spot has opened the door to a three-way race.
Speculation about Johnson’s future in leadership intensified after he said earlier this month that he was unsure “what my next chapter of life is” if Republicans lose.
Johnson told the Washington Examiner during a brief interview after a campaign event for North Carolina GOP candidate Laurie Buckhout that “all of our leaders are traveling around the country nonstop.” He also pointed to his endorsed super PAC the Congressional Leadership Fund’s quarter three fundraising haul announced on Thursday as proof Republicans were competitive.
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“It brings my fundraising total to $526 million, which is an all-time record,” Johnson claimed. “In fact, I think I’m the second-highest Republican fundraiser in history, next to Donald Trump. And so we’re doing what is necessary to keep and hold a majority, and I’m absolutely convinced we’re going to.”
CLF announced it raised over $94 million from July through September, with the super PAC and its allied nonprofit organization having raised a record-breaking $370 million in total so far.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
