In a striking behind-the-scenes moment, President Donald Trump reportedly declared, “I’m the speaker and the president,” overshadowing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in the halls of power.
“I’m the speaker and the president,” Trump said, according to two insiders who spoke with The New York Times on the condition of anonymity. The remark came behind the scenes but captures the reality of Trump’s near-total influence over House Republicans.
The comment lands amid a 25-day House recess, with Johnson refusing to reconvene the chamber until the Senate passes a spending bill to end the ongoing government shutdown. At the center of the deadlock are health care subsidies set to expire this year. Republicans, echoing Trump’s opposition, refuse to extend them, while Democrats have rejected any spending bill that leaves the subsidies out.
Trump has made clear he does not support extending the subsidies — a position Johnson has backed, even as divisions grow among House Republicans.
Analysts warn that Johnson’s deference to Trump could have long-term consequences for the institution.
Times reporter Annie Karni writes, “[Johnson’s] approach [is one] born of political expedience that could have far-reaching consequences for an institution that has already ceded much of its power to President Trump.” She adds, “Mr. Johnson has chosen to make himself subservient to Mr. Trump, a break with many speakers of the past who sought in their own ways to act more as a governing partner with the president than as his underling.”
The episode underscores a striking shift in Washington’s balance of power: even the Speaker of the House, traditionally one of the nation’s most powerful figures, is cast in the shadow of Trump. Johnson’s loyalty may protect him politically for now, but it comes at the cost of the speakership’s independence and authority.
