Turmoil on the House Floor: Speaker Johnson Faces Wave of Resignation Threats From Restless Republicans

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican once dubbed “MAGA Mike” for his staunch alignment with President Donald J. Trump, stood frozen at the podium Wednesday morning as a cascade of colleagues from his own party issued stark ultimatums: Extend the Affordable Care Act’s expiring subsidies or face a flood of early retirements that could shatter the G.O.P.’s razor-thin majority. The outburst, erupting during a closed-door Republican conference meeting just one minute before journalists were ushered in, marked a new low in morale for a chamber already battered by a record government shutdown and internal revolts over spending priorities.

The threats, delivered in rapid succession by a half-dozen moderates and even some hard-liners, stunned Mr. Johnson and his leadership team, who had hoped a recent bipartisan deal to avert a deeper fiscal crisis would buy breathing room. “We’re in triage every day,” Mr. Johnson acknowledged later in a somber news conference, his voice cracking as he described the chamber’s “toxic environment.” But the warnings echoed louder: A senior Republican, speaking anonymously to Punchbowl News, predicted “explosive early resignations” unless Mr. Johnson defies White House pressure and backs the subsidy extension, which benefits millions in rural and swing districts. “It’s a tinderbox,” the lawmaker said. “Morale has never been lower. Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel, and they will lose the majority before this term is out.”

The confrontation unfolded at 9:59 a.m. in the Capitol’s ornate H-310 conference room, where House Republicans had gathered to plot strategy for the lame-duck session. Tensions, simmering since the October shutdown that idled the chamber for 54 days, boiled over when Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a centrist facing a tough 2026 reelection, rose to speak. “If we let these subsidies lapse, I’m out — and I won’t be alone,” Mr. Bacon declared, according to three attendees granted anonymity to describe the private session. “My district needs this. Yours do too. Push back on the White House, or watch us walk.”

The room, packed with 219 weary lawmakers nursing coffees amid stacks of briefing binders, fell into stunned silence. Then came the echoes: Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, whose Hudson Valley seat flipped blue in 2022, vowed to resign by January if the speaker caved to Freedom Caucus demands for deeper cuts. Even Rep. Greg Steube of Florida, a Trump ally who spearheaded a successful discharge petition on Epstein files earlier this month, chimed in: “We overrode you once. Don’t make us do it again — or force our hands to the exits.”

Mr. Johnson, 53, a former trial lawyer elevated to the speakership in a chaotic January vote after three failed ballots, appeared visibly deflated. His gavel hand trembled as he called for order, invoking Proverbs: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” But the damage was done. By the time reporters entered at 10:00 a.m., whispers of “mass exodus” had leaked, sending aides scrambling to the phones. On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, #MagaMikeMeltdown trended within minutes, fueled by anonymous GOP accounts posting: “Johnson’s obedience to Trump is killing us. Time to jump ship.”

The subsidy fight lies at the heart of the unrest. The enhanced Affordable Care Act provisions, set to expire December 31, have kept premiums affordable for 21 million Americans, including many in red-leaning areas hit hard by the shutdown’s economic ripples. Mr. Trump, prioritizing tax cuts and deportations, has urged Mr. Johnson to let them lapse — a stance that risks alienating suburban voters the G.O.P. desperately needs for 2026. Moderates like Mr. Bacon, who barely won reelection last year, see it as electoral suicide; hard-liners, meanwhile, view any extension as a betrayal of “Obamacare repeal” promises.

This is not Mr. Johnson’s first brush with mutiny. Seven months into his tenure, he weathered a discharge petition on Epstein transparency that bypassed his leadership, a maneuver Rep. Anna Paulina Luna now threatens to repeat on health care. The recent resignation of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who accused Mr. Johnson of “sidelining” Republicans in favor of White House dictates, has shrunk the majority to 219-213 — meaning even one defection could doom party-line votes. Ms. Greene’s exit, announced last week amid her feud with Mr. Trump, has emboldened critics: “If MTG can walk, so can I,” one Midwestern moderate texted colleagues during the meeting.

White House officials, briefed in real time, expressed alarm. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a Florida power broker, spent the afternoon on a damage-control call with Mr. Johnson, sources said, while Mr. Trump fired off a Truth Social post at 11:32 a.m.: “Weak leadership in the House is letting RINOs run wild! Mike, get tough — or get out! We won big; don’t lose it now.” The message, viewed 9 million times, only inflamed the caucus, with Rep. Chip Roy of Texas retweeting: “Even the boss sees it. Time for change.”

Democrats, holding a slim Senate edge, watched with barely concealed delight. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a floor speech, quipped: “The G.O.P.’s house of cards is folding faster than a bad poker hand. We’ll be here to pick up the pieces — and the votes.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer scheduled an emergency briefing on the subsidies, positioning Democrats as the adults in the room amid the chaos.

Analysts see echoes of 2018, when Speaker Paul Ryan’s retirement amid similar infighting foreshadowed midterm losses. “Johnson’s juggling knives in a windstorm,” said Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist. “The shutdown scarred everyone; now this feels like the breaking point.” Polling from Quinnipiac, released midday, showed G.O.P. approval on health care at 38 percent, with 45 percent of Republicans in competitive districts considering early exits.

For Mr. Johnson, a devout Baptist who has leaned on faith to navigate the speakership’s perils, the day ended in quiet reflection. In a podcast interview taped Wednesday evening, he and his wife, Kelly, spoke of the job’s toll: “It’s overwhelming, like herding cats in a hurricane.” Yet as Thanksgiving dawns, the speaker faces a stark choice: Defy Mr. Trump and risk a motion to vacate, or toe the line and watch his conference hemorrhage members.

Washington, ever the spectator sport, buzzed with speculation. Will a dozen resign by spring, flipping the House blue? Or can Mr. Johnson rally with a subsidy compromise, preserving his gavel — and the majority? In a term defined by shutdowns and schisms, one truth endures: Loyalty in the G.O.P. is as fleeting as it is fierce. As one veteran aide put it, “MAGA Mike woke up to a house on fire. Now he’s got to choose: Extinguish it or let it burn.”