Mike Johnson Defiant After Multiple MAGA Women Turn on Him

By Giulia Carbonaro

Senior Housing Reporter

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House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Wednesday that he would run again to lead the House next Congress, downplaying dissent from fellow MAGA congresswomen.

Representative Elise Stefanik, a close ally of President Donald Trump, told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that Johnson was losing control of the party and would "certainly" not be re-elected if a vote was called suddenly.

"He certainly wouldn't have the votes to be speaker if there was a roll-call vote tomorrow," Stefanik said. "I believe that the majority of Republicans would vote for new leadership. It’s that widespread."

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene told The Washington Post in October that Johnson had "marginalized" Republican women. After falling out with the president, Greene announced last month that she would resign in January.

In another sign of defiance from MAGA women in Congress, Representative Anna Paulina Luna launched a discharge petition this month to bypass Johnson and force a floor vote on congressional stock trading ban.

"I'm not nervous. I'm pissed," she wrote in a post on X. "Either which way I'm all ears for a solution. The insider trading is really bad and even the speaker knows it. I like Mike. Mike is a good guy. I hope he backs me on this one."

On Wednesday, CNN correspondent Manu Raju shared a video of Johnson responding to his question of whether he would run again for speaker. Raju responded: "Absolutely."