House Speaker Mike Johnson:
"If we lose the midterms—good grief, if we lose our majority in the House—it would effectively mean the end of Trump's presidency."
According to an interview with conservative media Newsmax, Johnson's original words were:
"If we lose the midterm elections—good grief, if we lose our majority in the House—it would effectively mean the end of Trump's presidency. He needs a full four years, not just two years to clean up this mess."
Johnson's warning is based on two real threats:
* Legislative agenda completely stalled: If the House falls into Democratic hands, the Republicans will lose the power to push forward their agenda. Johnson previously also emphasized that a Democratic-controlled House would make Trump's term "miserable," preventing any major legislation from passing.
* Risk of impeachment: This is a more direct threat. Johnson has repeatedly warned that once the Democrats regain control of the House, they will immediately push for a third impeachment of Trump. Since the House is responsible for initiating impeachment, a Democratic majority would almost certainly trigger the process, plunging Trump into an endless political struggle for the next two years. This is the scenario Trump fears most.
Although Trump won in 2024, in recent local elections, the Democrats have performed strongly, even flipping districts where Trump had a large lead. Especially the Supreme Court's "tariff illegal" ruling marked the failure of Trump's policies. This has caused panic among Republicans. Recent polls show that Trump's approval rating has dropped to 36%.
Johnson's remarks are both a mobilization of conservative voters and an acknowledgment of the current political reality.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858117202427904/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.