House Speaker Mike Johnson Hints at Future in Landscaping

House Speaker Mike Johnson joked that he could return to Louisiana and pursue an entirely different career if Republicans lose the midterm elections. Johnson is traveling across the country to help the GOP protect its narrow House majority as Democrats work to regain control of both chambers of Congress. In an interview with Fox News, Johnson said he had raised a record $156 million for Republican candidates and remained confident the party could hold on to power. He argued that the only reason Republicans would lose was “because the people were misled.” Still, Johnson acknowledged that his future could look very different if he is no longer Speaker in 2027. “Heaven forbid, if we lose this majority or whatever, I don’t know what my next chapter of life is,” he said. “If God moves on our hearts and says we should, you know, go back to my hometown of Shreveport and start a lawn business, I’ll do that with equal fervor. I mean, I just want to be of my highest and best use to God and to my country.”

Lance Trover, a spokesperson for Johnson, later said on social media that the Speaker was joking. “All the DC speculation about the Speaker because he dared to speculate about his potential future in the lawn care business is hilarious,” Trover wrote. “Not that I believe he’d be bad at it, but allowing it to overshadow the massive fundraising numbers announced this morning or the insane travel schedule he’s doing to keep the majority seems to be nothing short of trying to drive a contrived narrative.” Johnson also said that, whatever happens on November 3, he had fulfilled his responsibilities and should not be held responsible if Republicans suffer a defeat.

“I don’t know how it could be. I mean, I’m traveling non-stop.” Donald Trump has been making a series of campaign appearances in Republican-leaning states, including recent rallies in Nebraska and Texas, as control of Congress remains uncertain. During the first two years of President Donald Trump’s second administration, Republicans have maintained a governing trifecta, controlling the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. With the 2026 midterm elections less than a month away, however, the party faces a difficult fight to preserve that sweeping advantage.

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Polling throughout the 2026 midterm election cycle has consistently shown voters favoring Democratic candidates in the November contests, with the party’s advantage growing in recent months. Trump has questioned whether Republicans can maintain their momentum, particularly amid concerns that conservative voters may not turn out because his name is not on the ballot. Several GOP candidates, including Florida gubernatorial hopeful Byron Donalds and Iowa Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, have sought to create some distance from the president. “If I don’t run, will those people go out and vote, and that’s the one thing I can’t tell,” Trump recently said, while urging Republican voters to approach the election as though he were running.

Even as Republicans trail in some polling, they are substantially outpacing Democrats in fundraising at the national level and in key battleground races. The figures suggest that control of Congress may ultimately be determined less by Washington’s political establishment than by turnout in competitive districts and states across the country. Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats, meaning Democrats would need to gain at least four seats to take control of the chamber in the next Congress. In the House, where Republicans hold only a five-seat majority, Democrats are considered strong favorites to win back control.