Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) says he intends to stay at the helm of the Republican conference even if the party loses control of the House in the midterm elections.
Johnson made the comments in an exclusive interview with CBS News‘s Robert Costa, offering his clearest statement yet on his political future regardless of election outcomes.
“I want to be of my highest and best use to God in my country, and I feel like at this stage of life, I’m doing what I’m called to do, and so I intend to lead as Speaker,” Johnson told Costa.
The Speaker dismissed the possibility of a Republican House loss as unlikely, saying he does not spend time thinking about such a scenario unfolding.
“Heaven forbid, I don’t think it’s going to happen, so I don’t spend any time thinking about it,” Johnson said, before adding that his colleagues would still want him leading the conference under divided government.
“But in the unlikely scenario where we lost the majority, I would expect my colleagues would ask me to continue leading this conference, even if we have divided government,” he said.
Johnson’s CBS interview came just days after he appeared to suggest a possible return to Louisiana if Republicans suffer losses in the midterms, a remark made during a separate interview with Fox News.
The comment generated immediate speculation and chatter about his political intentions, which Johnson brushed off during the CBS sit-down.
“It’s just hilarious,” Johnson told CBS when pressed about the reaction his Fox News remarks had sparked among political observers and media outlets.
He clarified that his comments were rooted in a longstanding personal philosophy rather than any signal about stepping back from national leadership.
“What I was trying to say to them is that throughout my whole life, my number one objective is to be of my highest and best use to God and to my country,” Johnson explained.
The clarification comes amid underlying tensions within the House Republican conference, where some lawmakers and aides have privately discussed the possibility of backing a different leader should the party face significant losses at the midterms.
According to reporting from The Hill, some GOP members and staff had floated the idea of supporting an alternative figure rather than rallying behind Johnson if the electoral results prove damaging for the party.
Johnson’s public positioning ahead of the midterms signals that he has no intention of stepping aside, and is betting that Republican voters and his own colleagues will back his continued leadership regardless of how November unfolds.
