Speaker Mike Johnson is pulling closer to Trump to save the GOP’s House majority

HOLLAND, Ohio (AP) — Wherever House Speaker Mike Johnson goes, Donald Trump, seemingly, is not acold away.

At a run extremity for a House Republican campaigner extracurricular of Toledo, Johnson held up his compartment telephone arsenic he has a twelve times before, and started filming — “Hey, Mr. President!” The crowd astatine nan region GOP office a mates 100 group heavy knew what to do next.

“Is President Trump going to triumph Ohio?” They roared.

As Johnson travels nan state trying to prevention his House Republican majority, and his ain occupation arsenic speaker, he has linked ever much tightly to Trump, a erstwhile uncertain narration that has go progressively beneficial to both.

The speaker is relying connected nan erstwhile president for his ain governmental endurance in nan chaotic House, but besides presenting himself arsenic a partner to Trump, prepared to perchance challenge nan predetermination results, and, if Trump retakes nan White House, present a MAGA schedule successful Congress. Trump said complete nan play they person a “little secret” for winning, and Johnson, who backed a ineligible challenge to nan 2020 predetermination Trump lost, did not contradict him.

With nan presidency and power of Congress astatine stake, Johnson, who successful galore ways is an accidental House speaker aft taking complete aft Kevin McCarthy was ejected successful a historical far-right revolt, is uniquely positioned to play a cardinal domiciled successful some outcomes.

“We’ve been moving connected this presumption each on that we person to make it ‘too large to rig,’” — and that’s not conscionable a slogan,” Johnson told The Associated Press betwixt run stops successful Ohio complete nan weekend.

If Trump wins, arsenic Johnson expects he will, “this will each beryllium an afterthought.”

And if not?

“We’ll benignant it out. We’re going to travel each nan measurement through.”

It’s a singular travel for Johnson, 52, a religious-rights lawyer from Louisiana, first elected alongside Trump successful 2016 and now 2nd successful nan statement of succession to nan presidency. He celebrated his first twelvemonth connected nan occupation past week, earlier arriving successful nan Buckeye State, among 230 cities successful 40 states he has visited since seizing nan gavel.

To perceive Johnson show it, Trump “is nan caput coach” and “I’ll beryllium nan quarterback,” and together they are preparing to tally nan play connected an “ambitious” 100-day agenda pinch Republican senators — cutting taxes, securing nan U.S. separator and taking a ”blow torch” to national regulations — if they expanse nan White House and Congress.

While Johnson did not telephone retired Heritage’s Project 2025, he did picture a elaborate connection to push nan national agencies retired of Washington and restaff nan national workforce, pointing to nan America First Policy Institute and different deliberation tanks pinch their databases of imaginable caller hires.

“We’re going to beryllium capable to bring nan national authorities to heel,” Johnson said adjacent Akron.

Johnson said he and Trump talk each nan clip astir nan plans.

“He’s reasoning large astir his legacy,” Johnson said. “He’s reasoning large astir what we tin do.”

When wellness attraction came up days later successful Pennsylvania, nan speaker said: “No Obamacare” — though he clarified later he was not promising to do distant pinch nan Affordable Care Act, saying it was “deeply ingrained” successful nan wellness attraction system.

Trump loomed ample successful Johnson’s run stops, moreover successful his absence.

At nan Saturday evening arena for Republican Derek Merrin who is challenging long-serving Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Johnson said nan territory that Trump carried successful nan past predetermination provides an opportunity arsenic they activity to sphere — aliases turn — nan GOP’s slim mostly clasp connected nan House.

Standing nether nan fluorescent lights wrong nan Lucas County Republican Party office, Johnson shared a communicative astir really he was telling Trump what a awesome campaigner Merrin would beryllium — “straight retired of cardinal casting,” he quipped, breaking into an impersonation of nan erstwhile president — to nan delight of nan crowd.

Calling himself a “wartime speaker” because of nan challenges astatine location and abroad, Johnson presents himself arsenic cheerful and self-effacing, moreover arsenic he portrays nan predetermination successful nan astir stark terms.

“Right now we’re not successful a conflict anymore, conscionable betwixt R’s versus D’s, it’s deeper than that. We’re successful a conflict correct now betwixt 2 wholly different visions,” he said.

“What we’re conserving is, first of all, nan Judeo Christian instauration of our country,” he said to applause.

“Amen!” shouted personification from nan crowd.

Asked later astir nan domiciled his religion plays successful governing astatine a clip of rising Christian nationalism, he shrugged disconnected nan scrutiny arsenic a sad thing, and said he’s nary different than nan founders envisioned for nan country’s leaders.

“I deliberation it’s comforting to know,” he said, that leaders “believe that they reply to a higher powerfulness than conscionable our civilian institutions, right?”

The adjacent morning, Sunday, Johnson recovered himself astatine a brewery, of each places — nan day tailgate had to beryllium rescheduled truthful he could make it to New York City connected clip to speak astatine Trump’s rally astatine Madison Square Garden.

Coffee, alternatively than brews, was flowing, arsenic he stumped for Republican campaigner Kevin Coughlin who is trying to unseat Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes successful nan Akron area. Adding to nan GOP ranks would springiness Johnson immoderate alleviation from a turbulent House pinch its slim, difficult-to-govern majority.

Johnson, who is not a ample man, joked that he utilized to beryllium 4 inches taller, but “the occupation hit maine down.”

It’s likely, but not astatine each certain, that Johnson will person capable support from his ain ranks to support his job, if House Republicans clasp nan majority. There are dissenters, particularly from nan far-right flanks.

But successful nan end, Trump whitethorn person a last word.