After the House passed a last-minute spending bill on Friday to avoid a government shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he thought President-elect Donald Trump would be “certainly happy” about the outcome.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
While chaos unfolded in Washington, I was down in Palm Beach, talking to people close to Trump, and the picture that emerged was clear: Not only is Trump upset with the funding deal, but he’s also frustrated with Johnson himself.
Trump feels blindsided. He’s especially unhappy that his request for a debt ceiling hike didn’t happen. He wasn’t thrilled about the deal Johnson made with Democrats, and the whole chaotic process left Trump’s team questioning whether Johnson can handle the job with a slim majority in the future.
“He’s upset,” one insider shared, “He wanted the debt ceiling handled, and it wasn’t.”
Another added, “We’ve been questioning if Johnson’s been a trustworthy partner these past few weeks.”
The frustration only grew from there. Trump insiders don’t think Johnson is showing the leadership strength they were hoping for. “No one thinks he’s strong or tough,” one said. “They don’t see him as a fighter.”
And now, with Trump’s eye on 2025, the question on everyone’s mind is: Can Johnson survive as Speaker of the House?
Some of Johnson’s supporters argue that Trump had unrealistic expectations, given the political landscape, with Democrats still controlling the Senate. But at the end of the day, Johnson’s fate is tied to Trump’s opinion.
Could this just be another case of Trump playing mind games with one of his allies? (Just ask Kevin McCarthy, who learned how quickly Trump can pull the rug out from under you.) The big question is whether Trump will help Johnson, or if he’ll let him flounder.
Sources say Trump is carefully watching how the situation plays out, deciding whether it’s worth stepping in to defend Johnson. “If Trump wanted to destroy Johnson, he could,” one insider said, “but he hasn’t yet.”
Behind the scenes, Trump has been frustrated for weeks. He’s repeatedly brought up the need to raise the debt ceiling, seeing it as a major hurdle that Democrats could use to block his future agenda. But did Trump make it clear enough that he wanted it attached to the year-end spending bill? Some Republicans on Capitol Hill say no. If Trump was serious about it, they argue, he would’ve been tweeting about it for weeks, pushing lawmakers to act.
But Trump’s team pushes back, saying he never wanted to micromanage the details. One official explained, “He said, ‘Get the debt ceiling handled before I take office.’ It’s not about the details.”
Things took a turn for the worse on Tuesday when Johnson unveiled his deal with Democrats, which included provisions that had little to do with keeping the government open. A lot of Republicans were caught off guard by it, and while Johnson’s team gave Trump’s people a heads-up about the deal, it seems they didn’t give him the full picture.
Trump’s team wasn’t pleased. They felt Johnson had made a promise that didn’t hold up. When the votes weren’t there to pass the deal, Trump was left looking foolish. One insider said, “You can’t bring the president a deal you promised had the votes if it doesn’t.”
But there was still a chance for Johnson to regain some favor. Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance were both open to letting the government shut down temporarily to get the debt ceiling issue sorted, but Johnson hesitated, knowing a shutdown could backfire, especially with the holidays coming up. He ultimately pushed through a new spending bill that didn’t include Trump’s debt ceiling request.
Despite passing the bill, Johnson’s grip on the Speaker’s gavel is looking shaky. The final vote was 366-34, but with the support of many Democrats.
In the end, Johnson’s fate may come down to Trump’s gut instinct. As the January 3 speakership vote looms, some key Republicans are still backing Johnson, but the president-elect’s opinion could make or break him. Trump hasn’t outright called for Johnson’s removal, but sources say if Trump prefers a different leader, he might just let Johnson struggle to find the 218 votes needed to keep his job.
For now, Trump is watching from the sidelines, considering what’s best for his future agenda. With the stakes this high, it’s clear that the next few weeks will be crucial for both Johnson and his relationship with Trump.
