Mike Johnson Would Prefer Not To

Thursday, August 06, 2026

The House speaker doesn't want to get involved in the Max Miller scandal - or anything else that might seem like part of his basic duties as a leader. This raises the question of what Johnson does think the speaker's business is. If Johnson doesn't think that his job includes protecting the moral reputation of the House, his small and endangered House majority, or the prospects of the Republican Party more broadly, he must have some other idea about his role. What that might be is mysterious.

Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 06:26 AM | 2 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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By attempting to remain distant from the Miller scandal, Johnson is allowing Miller to claim, as he did in an interview last night, that "Speaker Mike Johnson, everyone else"they're standing behind me." Johnson's reluctance to become involved in a messy, lurid story like this one is understandable, but it's also one of the burdens that falls on leaders. By declining to bear it, Johnson may help ensure that he doesn't have to worry about the duties of the speaker when the new Congress opens next January.

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