U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson woke up on Thursday having survived an attempt to remove him from office. However, he still faces an uncertain future as leader of a Republican caucus embroiled in internal conflict.
Johnson, previously a little-known member of the House, emerged in October as the top Republican in Congress and second in line to the presidency after a contentious leadership struggle following his predecessor's ouster.
Despite an attempt by hardline Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene on Wednesday to unseat him, Johnson retained his position with the support of most of his party's 217-213 House majority, as well as backing from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Many Democrats also voted for Johnson to prevent a repeat of the chaos seen in October.
Since assuming the role of speaker, Johnson has transitioned from the narrow perspectives of a relatively inexperienced congressman from northwest Louisiana, now in his fourth House term, to embracing the broader responsibilities of national leadership. This transformation has alienated enough party hardliners to significantly reduce his chances of remaining the Republican House leader next year, regardless of the party's majority status after the Nov. 5 election.
"I'm proud to serve in this position. It's not one that I aspired to. It's not one that I ever expected to have or planned for," Johnson said after Wednesday's vote. "But it is the honor of my life and career to do this, and I will do it so long as this body will have me."
When he assumed the speaker's role last October, the 52-year-old was seen as a likable but inexperienced candidate with no political enemies.
He opposed U.S. aid to Ukraine, favored strict border restrictions, and brought a strong Christian conservative record to issues such as abortion. Johnson also played a significant role in House Republican objections to the 2020 presidential election results, following Trump's false claims of voter fraud.
These claims, and the subsequent support from Republicans in Congress, culminated in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
As speaker, Johnson has relied on Democrats to avoid government shutdowns, support U.S. anti-terrorism efforts, assist Ukraine against Russian invasion, and now, preserve his leadership position.
He has adopted an open-door strategy, spending "endless hours" in meetings with members, including Greene and her ally Representative Thomas Massie, to keep the Republican conference united.
"It takes a lot of time.
This is why I don't get enough sleep these days," Johnson said. "You have to quite literally get everyone to work together... I take Marjorie's ideas and Thomas' and everybody else's, and we assess them on their own value."
Johnson's handling of spending bills and aid to U.S. allies has earned him praise from both Republicans and some Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.