NEW YORK – With Vice President Harris’ selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) as his running mate, the 2024 presidential field is set. And House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is confident in the Republican Party’s chances in the election.
Johnson — speaking to The Hill in a wide-ranging interview in New York City on Tuesday — predicted that Republicans will secure a political trifecta this cycle, and said having Walz on the ticket will make things easier for the GOP before November.
The president of the Chamber, likewise, was optimistic about his chances of keeping the gavel in the next Congress. Johnson — who won the top job in a historic feat last year — said he believes the GOP conference will unite behind his bid to continue his tenure, a quest that will be aided by a strong performance in November.
These sentiments are undoubtedly in line with the optimistic outlook that Johnson has expressed in recent months. But Tuesday’s positive attitude comes as the 2024 election cycle enters a new phase.
“I like the matchup now,” Johnson said when asked how the GOP conference will fare on the ticket soon after Harris picked Walz as her vice president. “I’m pleased, for our purposes, that she chose Walz because they can’t hide from their record and I don’t think that’s going to resonate with people.”
“We were on track, before all the events of the last few weeks, to win a decisive victory in both the House and Senate for the Republican Party,” Johnson continued. “I believe we are still on that trajectory.”
“I’m very optimistic about November,” he added.
‘I believe that all our incumbents will be re-elected’
Johnson spoke to The Hill during a 20-state swing he’s facing in August, a blitz that’s taking him everywhere from battleground districts to Democratic strongholds in his quest to expand his majority and keep the gavel.
The House speaker met Tuesday with two New York Republicans from districts that President Biden won in 2020 — Reps. Mike Lawler and Anthony D’Esposito — as well as Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who represents an area that former President Trump narrowly captured in the last election, a source familiar told The Hill.
The House Speaker traveled from the West Coast to New York, heading to Maine’s 2nd Congressional District – which is represented by Democratic Rep. Jared Golden – on Wednesday to open a battle station for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). , then will head down the Coast to Virginia to campaign with Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), another Republican from Biden’s district, later this week.
Johnson said he has held campaign events in 147 cities and 32 states so far. Of the 20 states he will visit in August, eight will be visits for the first time.
Speaking from the 79th floor of a midtown Manhattan skyscraper overlooking New York City, the House speaker predicted that all incumbent Republican candidates will be re-elected to the House in November, an ambitious prediction – especially in the Democratic stronghold of New York, home to five of the 17 Republicans in Biden’s district.
“New York is critical for our majority, as are California and some of the other swing states. We have extraordinary incumbents in these districts and they are running fantastic re-election campaigns. It was very gratifying to see that,” Johnson said. “They are outperforming their opponents and, in many cases, they are raising more money. And this has been encouraging because they have the right message and the right tone and they know their communities, they know their districts, they are making a very compelling case for why they need to be re-elected.”
Johnson was cautious about not predicting how many seats the conference will gain in November — “I don’t want to hurt it” — but predicted that House Republicans “will see a dramatic improvement in our numbers” after the group faced a one-seat majority for part of this Congress.
“I think we will have a considerable majority,” said the president of the Chamber. “I don’t expect, nor does anyone, I believe, who is paying attention, a majority of 35 or 40 seats. This is no longer possible because the number of swing districts has been drastically reduced due to gerrymandering and redistricting. But I think we can have an exponential increase in our majority and I think that will be very helpful.”
“I hope we have a Republican majority in the Senate and I hope we have Donald Trump back in the White House,” he continued. “So if we have a unified government, what we are also planning in the midst of all of this is a very aggressive agenda for the first 100 days of Congress.”
Decision Desk HQ had projected that Republicans would secure a trifecta, but President Biden’s abandonment of the race threw turmoil into the political environment and DDHQ, like other analysts, paused their models.
Asked about friendly advice he would give Trump in the final stretch to Election Day, Johnson reiterated a message he has championed since Biden left office and Harris took her place on the ticket: focus on policy, not personalities.
“I’ve had conversations with him, even over the last few days, about the campaign and our message, and I believe he understands and agrees with my assessment that this is a contest between policies and not personalities,” Johnson said. “And the more we highlight the actual record of Kamala Harris — not the rhetoric, but the record — I think that serves us well and will serve the country.”
That suggestion, however, contrasts with Trump’s performance during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention last week, during which he said that Harris “happened to turn black” in recent years, comments that sparked criticism on both sides of the aisle.
Asked about his comments, Johnson paused briefly before telling The Hill that he had not seen the interview in its entirety and reiterated his message: Focus on politics, not personalities.
“I didn’t see the entire interview. I saw some of the highlights. I think we all need to be very disciplined about keeping this on record,” he said.
Johnson confident conference will rally around him as president
Johnson has made clear in recent months that he wants to remain leader of House Republicans in the next Congress and is hopeful — and confident — that he will do so in his capacity as speaker of the House.
But he faces obstacles even if Republicans hold the House, including conservative detractors within the conference.
That list will likely include Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), two hard-line Republicans who launched an unsuccessful effort to recall Johnson earlier this year.
The opposition could lead to a situation similar to that of January 2023, when then-Deputy. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) struggled to secure the gavel as the House’s slim Republican majority gave a small group of opponents the power to sustain his bid for president. McCarthy ultimately won the top job in the 15th round of voting.
Asked Tuesday how much protection he will need to win the gavel, Johnson declined to name a number but said the conference will eventually unify behind him, an outcome that would be more likely if he helped expand the Republican majority. in November. .
The Mayor pointed to the great risks of the current elections, arguing that there will be little appetite for drama in January.
“I believe that continuity will be very important in terms of leadership because the manual, having been designed, now has to be executed,” he said. “I think everyone understands, everyone in the conference understands, the stakes are very high and we have a huge responsibility on our hands, and I don’t think there’s going to be a huge appetite for a lot of internal drama. ”
Johnson continued, arguing that “all of these factors weigh in favor of maintaining stability in leadership.”
“And so I hope that’s what’s going to happen. I don’t know what that means for the vote count,” she added. “I’m optimistic and I think we will be able to bring everyone together and have great unity in the future.”
For now, however, Johnson is expected to continue his campaign trip throughout August, in a blitz that will likely extend until Election Day – with a brief adjournment for House business in September.
Asked on Tuesday what his hobbies are and how he relaxes, the House speaker – who was catapulted into downtown Washington after McCarthy’s ouster last year – said he likes to spend every free minute he has with his family, including two daughters who are in law school. a son at the Naval Academy and a 13-year-old boy still at home.
“And so, all the available time I had in recent years was dedicated to ball games and children’s activities and that is where I find my greatest joy”, he added. “I haven’t had time for any of my hobbies for several years.”
Asked if he is the vocal father in the stands shouting at the referee about a bad decision, the Chamber president said he prefers to keep a low profile. He did, however, covertly attack Washington politicians who enjoy spending their free time on the golf course.
“I just enjoy my family, time with my family, and I can’t get enough of it these days,” Johnson said. “So if I had a free Saturday, I would never go to a golf course. That would be the case with my children. That’s my priority. That’s what I’m talking about.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
