I’ve been covering Mike Johnson for years. Here’s why the see-no-evil House Speaker never seems to know what Trump said

On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson once again dodged my question when he said he had not seen President Donald Trump exclaim at the World Economic Forum that “what we have gotten out of NATO is nothing.”

“I haven’t seen the president’s speech, I look forward to seeing it,” Johnson told The Independent.

It reminded me of the first time I interacted with Johnson after he became speaker in February 2024. A few days before, Trump had recalled that he told a NATO country that if it did not contribute more to the alliance, he would encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want.”

“Not going to comment on that,” he told me back then.

Since then, Johnson saying he hasn’t seen Trump’s latest offensive remarks has become something of a running joke for late-night comedians and the Capitol press corps alike. He pretended not to know anything about Trump’s alleged birthday card to the late Jeffrey Epstein.

And this doesn’t even begin to go into where Johnson outright justifies the president’s behavior, such as when Trump posted an AI video of himself flying a fighter jet dumping feces on protesters, which led Johnson to say “he's probably the most effective person who's ever used social media” for that. There’s also the time that he defended Trump having a Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party as the administration was trying to cut Supplemental nutrition Assistance Program food stamps money during the government shutdown.

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The closest I got to him criticizing Trump was when I asked about him using a slur used for people with disabilities in reference to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, during which time, Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain actually laughed. But even then, he accepted Trump’s premise about talking about welfare fraud in Minnesota.

Since Johnson took office, any chance I get, I try to grill him, whether it’s on the way from his office to the House floor, in the Speaker’s lobby when he tries to get away from reporters or when I make a point to get a front row seat to his weekly press conferences.

At this point, I pretty much know he’ll either feign ignorance or defend the indefensible.

On one end, even Johnson’s supporters have to wonder why he continues to subject himself to what former speaker John Boehner used to call “feeding the alligators” when he does not even give us any ribeyes to chew on?

The fact is, it’s an act of performing for the audience of one: The president. For Johnson (and for the rest of congressional Republican leadership), these press meetings serve as a loyalty test. While former house speaker Paul Ryan would occasionally criticize Trump’s racist remarks and McCarthy once blamed Trump for the January 6 riot, Johnson knows no depth he will not spelunk. And despite his country lawyer pastiche, it’s all in the name of power.

Contrary to some caricatures of Johnson, he does not lack political acumen or intelligence. When he learned of the gravity of the situation in Ukraine, he risked his speakership to pass aid to Ukraine and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries liked him enough to save him from a coup attempt by Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Like his fellow Southern Baptist Jimmy Carter, his aw-shucks persona belies the fact he follows Jesus’s exhortation to sell a cloak and buy a sword.

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When former Florida representative Matt Gaetz pulled the trigger and torpedoed Kevin McCarthy, Johnson bid his time and waited for the higher-ranking Republicans, such as Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, to all drop like flies.

In the midst of the invective, Johnson felt like a balm: He was as conservative as Jordan without being a jerk, and his Southern gentleman persona allowed moderates from swing districts to swallow him despite his religious zeal. And he had the blessing of Trump.

But Johnson’s power is directly tied to Trump in a way no other speaker’s power is. While John Boehner, the chain-smoking and merlot-sipping wheeler and dealer, had served as chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee and got along well with Ted Kennedy. Ryan, the blue-eyed policy wonk, who replaced him remained popular after he served as Mitt Romney’s running mate in 2012. And the fratty McCarthy served as Boehner’s whip and recruited plenty of the 2010 Tea Party class as well as the 2020 and 2022 freshman class.

That means that, unlike other Republicans who could create distance from presidents of their own party, Johnson cannot afford to break from Trump. He needs only look over to the Senate side to see how Trump neutered Mitch McConnell, the most powerful majority leader this century. Or his fellow Louisianan Sen. Bill Cassidy, who now has a Republican primary challenger, after Cassidy voted to convict Trump. Or even Greene, who exited Congress this month.

Johnson essentially only has one mandate: to facilitate Trump’s agenda. Unlike in past Congresses when a few Republicans would speak out against Trump, he has enforced strict discipline in the Republican conferences in the House and Senate.

And with only 218 seats in the House, the exact number needed to get any bill over the finish line, he needs every bit of support he can muster to avoid a hostile takeover. He cannot brook any opposition or dissent lest it displease Trump and cause the president to turn on him the way he did Ryan or McConnell.

But subservience can only take someone so far. Johnson faced a revolt on the Jeffrey Epstein files and a discharge petition, which led to all but one member supporting their release. When he tried to tamp down a rebellion on health care subsidies, his frontliners revolted.

All of this forced ignorance and see-no-evil act might ultimately wind up costing the very thing that allows him to be speaker: the House majority. If voters don’t believe that Congress is an independent branch, then they will give the power to the Democrats to rein in the president. Then Johnson truly will not have a clue what to do next.