Johnson describes speaker's job as 'triage surgeon in an active battlefield'

Johnson faces narrow majority, late-night calls with Trump

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) described his role as a “triage surgeon in an active battlefield” in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that provided a detailed look at the demands of the job.

“I’m like a triage surgeon in an active battlefield,” Johnson said in the interview. “All I do is go from crisis to crisis, hemorrhaging wounds, all day long.”

Johnson, 54 years old, said he estimated he had about 14 minutes of family time on a typical night. He returned home around 9 p.m. on a recent Monday — which he called a “normal day” — only to be back on the phone by 11 p.m. to address a House Rules Committee hearing. His phone began buzzing again at 6:30 a.m. the next morning.

The speaker showed the Journal his phone screen, which displayed 1,477 unread text messages and 829 unlistened-to voicemails. He said he has been late to learning about major life events, including the deaths of friends or their loved ones, and often apologizes for not responding to messages quickly.

Johnson said he has tried to disconnect only twice over the past two years to spend time with his wife, daughters, and youngest child. “When I picked the phone back up, it was a bonfire that needed to be put out sooner,” he said.

The speaker, who took the gavel after a band of GOP dissidents ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has maintained his grip partly through a close relationship with President Donald Trump. Johnson said Trump often calls late at night, imitating the president asking, “Mikey, are you sleeping?” He said he responds, “No, not really,” and Trump replies, “Yes, you are, Mike. I can always tell when you’re sleeping.”

Johnson said the notion that Trump is running the House is a “false narrative.” He described their relationship as a “partnership.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the president “has a great relationship with Speaker Johnson and has enjoyed working closely with him.”

Republicans hold a narrow 219-212 majority, leaving Johnson with little margin for defections. “We do not have the luxury of party discipline, like the old ways,” Johnson said. “They used to whip people around and take things from them and punish them. We can’t do that to get every single person.”

Recent weeks have seen additional legislative challenges, including a standoff over the SAVE America Act. A standoff led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R., Fla.) blocked a procedural “rule” vote starting last month. The freeze lifted Tuesday, and Johnson is now pushing tens of billions of dollars in new military funding.

The SAVE America Act, which would mandate stricter voting rules, also became a flashpoint after Trump canceled a signing ceremony for an unrelated bipartisan housing bill at the last minute, saying the voting bill needed to pass first. The housing measure became law without Trump’s signature last weekend. Johnson said he talks to the president every day and is encouraging him to sign the bill.

Johnson, a constitutional lawyer first elected in 2016, said he wants to stay in the job if Republicans hold the majority. He demurred when asked about leading the party if the GOP loses. Polls show congressional Republicans in trouble in the fall, with Trump’s sinking popularity and economic concerns weighing on the party.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Viet Shelton said Republicans “have nothing of substance to run on,” pointing to concerns about healthcare, gas, and other costs.

Johnson said he sees an opening in the rise of Democratic socialists capturing primaries, arguing that the contrast between “common sense and crazy” will give voters a reason to back Republicans.

The speaker also recounted a recent conversation with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D., Ga.), a Baptist pastor, who questioned Johnson’s faith after Johnson said he prayed about passage of the president’s tax law. Johnson said he initially wanted to challenge Warnock to a national theological debate, but his staff convinced him to hold a one-on-one meeting instead. The two had a “delightful” debate rooted in each man’s understanding of the Bible, Johnson said. Warnock said they “shared an honest and candid conversation about our faith,” but criticized Republicans’ moves to cut spending on healthcare and nutrition benefits, which he said conflicted with Bible teachings.