Johnson says he would stay GOP leader after House loss

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he intends to remain the leader of House Republicans if the party loses its majority in November, though he expects Republicans to keep control of the chamber and serve under him as speaker for at least two more years. In a CBS interview near his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana, Johnson said he expected his colleagues to ask him to continue leading the Republican conference in a divided government. His statement describes his expectation, not a decision by House Republicans. The sources do not establish whether lawmakers would choose him as minority leader after an election loss. Johnson’s comments followed speculation about his plans after he suggested in a Fox News interview the previous week that he might return to Shreveport and start a lawn business if Republicans lost the House. He later described the remark as tongue in cheek, saying he had meant that he would follow whatever path he believed was right for him. Johnson said his intention was to stay and serve.