As Donald Trump entered Madison Square Garden on a major fight night, you might have overlooked the tortoise-shell glasses of House Speaker Mike Johnson peeking over Trump’s shoulder, two fingers raised amidst the loud cheers.

While other figures in Trump’s company, like billionaire Elon Musk, singer Kid Rock, or UFC CEO Dana White, were more recognizable to the New York crowd at the Ultimate Fighting Championship event, Johnson was also present, clearly enjoying himself.

By the end of that exciting mid-November weekend, he would board Trump Force One, grinning as he leaned over the seats while Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr., Musk, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posed with their fast-food McDonald’s meals.

Johnson had plenty to be happy about. Just weeks earlier, Trump had defeated Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Johnson was also on track to secure another GOP majority. The Louisiana Republican, who describes himself as a “nerd constitutional-law guy,” had firmly established himself within Trump’s close circle.

As they approach two years of complete Republican authority over the federal government, the partnership between Johnson and Trump could become one of the most significant dynamics in Washington.

With very little margin for error in the House, Johnson will play a vital role in helping to implement Trump’s agenda during this unique opportunity for consolidated governance. Trump, a powerful figure within the Republican base and Congress, will be crucial in aiding Johnson to maintain his role as speaker. According to several lawmakers and congressional specialists who spoke to YSL News, it’s clear that Trump can disrupt Johnson’s strategies while Johnson risks losing control without Trump’s backing.

“Johnson understands that he’s only effective when cooperating with Trump,” stated former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Georgia Republican who has known Trump throughout his political career. “Without Trump, unifying the Republicans is nearly impossible. It means there will be a lot of negotiation in that relationship.”

‘MAGA Mike Johnson’

Although they share the same party, the backgrounds of the House speaker and the president-elect differ greatly.

Johnson is a 52-year-old Christian from the Deep South whose favorite song, at least when he joined Congress in 2017, was the hymn “Be Thou My Vision.” He is reserved and intellectual, virtually unknown nationally when he assumed the role of speaker in 2023. His colleagues admire — and sometimes grumble about — his willingness to listen and his aversion to conflict.

Trump, in contrast, is a 78-year-old former New Yorker who grew up in luxury and has been a celebrity since his early 30s. He has faced legal challenges, including a conviction for paying off a porn star, and favors watching television over reading books. He openly expresses admiration for authoritarian leaders and insists on loyalty from his staff and allies.

Unlike his predecessors as speaker, Johnson’s political views align more closely with those of Trump. Former Speaker Paul Ryan stepped down two years into Trump’s first term due to the “identity politics” that Trump championed, while former Speaker Kevin McCarthy experienced a tumultuous relationship with the GOP leader, particularly when he hesitated to endorse Trump’s second presidential run for months.

In his professional life before Congress, Johnson was a lawyer advocating for traditional conservative values: he defended Louisiana’s ban on same-sex marriage, tried to close an abortion clinic, and worked for the Christian legal advocacy organization, the Alliance Defense Fund (now known as the Alliance Defending Freedom). His predecessor, Rep. John Fleming, co-founded the House Freedom Caucus, and its PAC was among Johnson’s major campaign supporters even though he never officially joined the group.

Before his unexpected rise to the speakership after McCarthy’s departure, Johnson gained national attention for leading an amicus brief in 2020 supporting Trump’s baseless claims of winning that year’s presidential election. As speaker, he shared Trump’s skepticism about additional aid to Ukraine, contrasting with then-Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who urged the GOP to continue its traditional foreign policies from the Bush era.

“The swamp is on the run, MAGA is on the rise,” declared then-Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on the day Johnson was elected speaker in 2023. “If you don’t see that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson signifies the rise of this movement and where actual power lies in the GOP, then you’re missing the point.”

Impending Turmoil

In late December, as Capitol Hill was winding down for the holiday season, Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy’s stuffed alligator, Alphonse, had been sporting a Santa hat for weeks. Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett had just wrapped up a 15-minute Christmas party featuring George “Santos Claus.” Meanwhile, a temporary spending bill appeared ready to pass, avoiding a government shutdown, despite some discontent among House Republicans and Musk.

But just two days before the shutdown deadline, an explosive social media post emerged: Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance took to Musk’s platform to label Johnson’s bipartisan agreement as “a betrayal of our country,” calling for Republicans to scale back the bill and raise the debt ceiling.

What followed was two days of chaos as Johnson scrambled to devise a new plan that satisfied Trump’s requests, secured the backing of GOP House members, passed through the Democratic Senate, and earned President Joe Biden’s signature. Lawmakers narrowly avoided a government shutdown, producing a bill that omitted Trump’s key demand regarding the debt ceiling — all while Republican members openly questioned their support for Johnson as speaker just two weeks later.

As the new year approached, Republican discontent became louder, and Trump remained silent as the criticisms mounted. Ultimately, he endorsed Johnson days before the House vote.

However, despite Trump’s endorsement, Johnson seemed set to lose in the initial ballot when Congress reconvened in January. Seven far-right Republicans withheld their votes, and three others supported different candidates, enough to block Johnson’s ascension and throw the House into a short period of uncertainty.

Over the next hour, Johnson sought support, meeting with the holdouts while Trump intervened. The vote was delayed as Johnson worked behind the scenes while Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, reached out to Johnson’s allies. Trump even paused his golf game to personally persuade Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Keith Self, R-Texas, to reconsider their votes. In the end, the dissenting members united behind Johnson, stating it was only “because of our steadfast support for President Trump,” and both Norman and Self changed their votes.

Johnson secured the win.

But for the speaker’s supporters and critics both view the confrontation as a signal of the challenges Congress will face in the coming two years.

“Those tweets had quite an impact. It felt a bit like that scene in the Wizard of Oz when the house fell on the Wicked Witch. It was sudden, and finished,” commented Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., a key member of the House Appropriations Committee, which monitors federal spending.

Womack added, speaking to YSL News in December, that Trump “has indicated he thinks Mike will be the speaker but he also added a condition. He needs to be strong, determined, and ready to fight to deliver what the president desires. That’s the challenge – because achieving that can be quite difficult.”

Currently, Johnson is leading one of the narrowest House majorities seen in modern times. When Trump assumes office on Monday, Republicans will hold a slight edge in the House with a 217-215 split, as some members transition to new roles in the administration. Once those positions are filled in late spring, the Republican majority is anticipated to be 220-215.

This narrow margin means Republicans can afford to lose only two members in the majority-rules House if they wish to pass legislation strictly along party lines, granting each member considerable influence over policy decisions. Alternatively, they can try to negotiate with Democrats, which could lead to legislation being blocked by the GOP-controlled Senate or vetoed by Trump. Additionally, those Republicans who nearly thwarted Johnson’s election as speaker at the beginning of 2025 might unite to call a vote that could threaten his speakership.

John Lawrence, former chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., noted that Republican factions, commonly referred to as “dissidents,” have been amplified due to the small margins in the House.

“Everyone has some power – or everyone is plotting a coup,” he remarked.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., expressed to YSL News in December that while Johnson is “a pretty decent guy,” he is “afraid of his own shadow.”

“I feel for him,” she stated, “because he’s uncertain about who he’s negotiating with, and he has a deeply fractured caucus.”

Whether from the left or right, House members are bracing for further disruptions similar to those observed last December. “Stay tuned. Buckle up. Get ready,” Womack stated. “Watching this Congress will be quite intriguing.”

Trump’s ally in Congress

Johnson will likely rely on Trump’s support to hold onto his position, while Trump will also find Johnson critical to his efforts.

Trifectas in recent Washington history typically last just two years, which emphasizes the urgent need to enact major reforms in taxes, immigration, and energy policy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“As per definition, everyone is a junior partner to Trump. No one stands on the same level as him,” remarked Gingrich. However, he continued, “To function effectively within our constitutional framework, the president must have allies in both the House and Senate who can facilitate that. I believe he has determined that Johnson is likely the best ally in the entire conference.”

Johnson’s rapid ascent to House Speaker took many by surprise, with one GOP senator even needing to look him up online.

In October 2023, Johnson was the fourth Republican nominated for the speaker role – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was widely regarded as McCarthy’s natural successor but could not convince some ultraconservative members. Next, Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, preferred by Trump, couldn’t clinch it, followed by GOP Whip Tom Emmer.

After a three-week standstill, Johnson took the gavel. It seems that the Louisiana congressman was the only candidate who hadn’t generated significant opposition from either moderates or the far-right.

Despite a growing number of Johnson’s critics, his colleagues generally express support for him, remaining optimistic that a mutual GOP interest in progress will ease his responsibilities. They believe he and Trump collaborate effectively, and privately recognize that no one desires a repeat of the House’s previous turmoil.