Many Republicans are becoming increasingly frustrated over Johnson’s leadership in the House, with the latest point of friction over his 1,547-page spending bill, which many have scrutinized. However, Comer expressed doubt that Johnson could lose his top position in the House, suggesting he is who President-elect Donald Trump wants in the position and, “in the end,” will get enough votes.

END CONGRESS’S IRRESPONSIBLE CHRISTMAS TRADITION

“Every time I see President Trump at a big event like the Army-Navy game, he has Mike Johnson with him, so it leads me to believe that Mike Johnson’s who Donald Trump wants to be speaker,” Comer said on CNN. “I think the only way Mike Johnson does not get reelected speaker is if Donald Trump came out and said he preferred someone else. Then, we’d have to go through the process again.”

What a great night at the Army-Navy game! Our midshipman even got to join us in the suite for a quarter.

No matter the outcome, AMERICA wins. But… #GoNavy pic.twitter.com/UoqPrwgqFt

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 14, 2024

Comer noted that another factor facing Republicans is how electing a different House speaker would be “very difficult” due to the party’s thin majority. The Kentucky lawmaker assessed that House Republicans could lose two votes at most in a hypothetical vote, meaning the party would have to get “practically every member” to agree in a voting process.

Because of this, Comer assessed that many Republicans do not want to go through the process of electing a new House speaker “again,” referring to how Johnson was elected after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in October 2023. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) already attempted a bid to oust Johnson from his speaker role, though her motion was tabled by a vote of 359-43, in which 163 Democrats joined most Republicans in the majority vote.

Johnson’s latest road bump as House speaker occurred this week as he is attempting to garner support for his spending bill to prevent a government shutdown, which many Republicans are critical of. Among the Republicans vowing to vote “no” on his bill are Reps. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ).

I’m voting NO on the CR and much like the American people, I’m getting tired of governing this way.

Read my latest column in the @dcexaminer LINK in BIO 📲 pic.twitter.com/MJW1bvyaft

— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) December 17, 2024

‘Twas three days before the gov’t shutdown
And I’m at my desk
On page 54 of this 1,547 page mess.
The CR is garbage
Chocked full of carnage.
I’ll be a hard no
I won’t stoop that low.

— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) December 18, 2024

On Wednesday morning, Johnson clarified that while he is not a fan of the spending bill, it needs to be passed to clear “the decks” for Trump once he takes office next month. He also stressed that “the big changes” would come in March 2025 once Republicans are able to form their own legislation.