Republican Speaker of the House Mike “The Disappointment” Johnson’s popularity has taken a serious nosedive which may endanger the MAGA agenda in President Donald Trump’s second term.
After the latest House year-end spending bill fiasco that saw Johnson once again abandon conservative principles while floundering through not one, not two, but three attempts to pass a bill to fund the government through President Trump’s Inauguration, Johnson lost some 38 conservative votes and relied on Democrat votes to pass the third and final bill.
As leader of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, Johnson’s weak leadership was in the spotlight last week when Congress passed a spending package that funded the government past the Trump inauguration. After Johnson went to the Democrats for votes, forty-two percent (42%) of self-identified conservative voters have at least a somewhat unfavorable impression of Johnson (or don’t know).
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey found that only 38% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable impression of Johnson – down from 44% in April – including 14% with a Very Favorable opinion of the Louisiana Republican. Thirty-six percent (36%) view Johnson unfavorably, including 19% with a Very Unfavorable impression. Another 27% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
This puts Johnson well on the way to a Nancy Pelosi-level of unfavourability.
Back in 2021 an NBC News poll conducted among 1,000 adults between Aug. 14 and Aug. 17, found that just 31% of Americans had a positive view of the San Francisco Democrat, compared with 53% who held negative views towards her (a 22-percentage point split). For reference, at that time Trump had 38% favorable rating and 49% unfavorable rating, and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was 15% favorable and 27% unfavorable.
The recent Rasmussen poll found Johnson is viewed at least somewhat favorably by 54% of Republicans, 25% of Democrats and 35% of voters not affiliated with either major party.
Twenty percent (20%) of Likely Voters believe Johnson is better than most recent Speakers of the House, while 24% think he is worse and 41% say Johnson is about the same as most recent House Speakers. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure.
Thirty-two percent (32%) of Republicans, 12% of Democrats and 17% of unaffiliated voters think Johnson is better than most recent Speakers of the House. Thirty-three percent (33%) of Democrats, 13% of Republicans and 26% of unaffiliated voters believe Johnson is worse than most recent speakers. Forty-two percent (42%) of Republicans and 40% of both Democrats and unaffiliated voters say Johnson is about the same as most recent House Speakers.
More men (43%) than women voters (33%) have a favorable opinion of Speaker Johnson.
Voters under 40 are more likely than their elders to believe Johnson is better than most recent Speakers of the House.
Johnson is viewed favorably by 36% of whites, 34% of black voters, 45% of Hispanics and 43% of other minorities.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of self-identified conservative voters have at least a somewhat favorable impression of Johnson, compared to 32% of moderates and 12% of liberal voters.
Breaking down the electorate by income categories, voters earning between $30,000 and $50,000 a year have the most favorable impression of Johnson, while those with annual incomes between $100,000 and $200,000 are most likely to think Johnson is worse than most recent House Speakers.
President Trump has spoken in favor of retaining Johnson as Speaker, but Johnson’s inability to craft an agenda that garners conservative votes shows that the MAGA agenda is in serious trouble under his leadership.
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