Outgoing Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) pulled back the curtain during a Saturday appearance on Fox News regarding his decision to step away from his top leadership position in Congress.
Speaking with host and former Trump 1.0 White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Johnson admitted that the cards were stacked against Republicans this year — as they always are for the party in power during a midterm election — but that lawmakers did what they could to beat the odds.
After three years as Speaker, nearly 750 campaign events, and close to $900 million raised for Republicans, according to Johnson, “this was a year where history was not defied.”
“We don’t like the results. But, you know, real leadership, I’ve always believed, you know, you lead from the front, and leaders have to take responsibility when things go wrong, whether it’s, you know, individually deserved or not, that’s part of it,” Johnson said. “And so that’s why I felt like I’m going to remain in this fight, but I'll do it from a role different than as minority leader in the next Congress. We did that after prayer and reflection, and we had to make a decision pretty quick.”
Johnson’s remarks echo an X post he sent out the day after the election, where he wrote that despite the incoming House Democrat leadership being the most “radical and extreme” in American history, “Republicans will never stop fighting to defend the Constitution and protect the foundations that have made America the greatest nation in the history of the world.”
Covered a lot of ground with @kayleighmcenany this morning. It’s been the honor of my life to serve as the 56th Speaker of the House, and I’m committed to continue doing all I can to ensure the founding principles of America endure. https://t.co/VtoM43DQWS
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) November 14, 2026
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) defeated Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) in a vote on Tuesday to be the new House Minority Leader, as Townhall’s Cameron Arcand reported.
Johnson has served as the speaker for three years. His tenure follows former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, who was ousted with a motion to vacate initiated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida.
A contentious battle for the speakership followed, with Johnson eventually landing the gig. In 2025, with a razor thin majority in the House, Johnson was reelected to his position. Under Johnson's speakership, President Trump's signature Big Beautiful Bill was passed and signed into law, and the SAVE America Act – an election integrity effort – passed multiple times, but never made it through the Senate.
Editor’s Note: Republicans are fighting for election integrity by requiring proper identification to vote. It's common sense, yet Democrats are spreading lies about the impact of such a measure.
Help us continue to call out these lies by joining Townhall VIP and using promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.