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President-elect Donald Trump’s approval wasn’t enough to absolve House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) of his record as one GOP congressman declared “Challenge accepted” to explain opposition.

While the once and future commander-in-chief had arguably been delivered a mandate from voters, each member of the House held a duty to act in the best interests of their constituents. As such, with continued opposition to rewarding Johnson with control of the gavel,  Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R) was criticized as “CONTRARIAN” and a “risk” to Trump but had no trouble laying out why he disagreed.

Early Tuesday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) took to X to question yet another fight over the speakership, writing, “I do not understand what the CONTRARIAN house republicans think they will gain by opposing Speaker Mike Johnson. They have no one who can get more votes.”

He went on to suggest, “[T]hey risk crippling President Trump’s electoral win on January 6. They are in effect allies of the Democrats. I challenge them to explain what their end game is other than noise.”

In response, Massie declared “Challenge accepted” and served up a measured refutation of Gingrich’s premise while arguing his points were known by both the Republican Conference and the public before referring to his own poll about public opposition to the speaker.

“First,” he said bucking those who were going along with the status quo, “let me note that the ‘vote for Mike’ camp is not trying to make the case that Mike Johnson is endowed with the qualities necessary to lead our conference. Even you have limited yourself here to procedural justifications for his speakership rather than telling us why he is a good or capable leader.”

“Even if Mike’s entire goal is to do everything Trump wants without debate or question (which I would argue is not healthy for the institution of Congress),” continued the lawmaker, “he’s not going to be good at it. He already demonstrated this month that he won’t tell the President what is achievable and what is not achievable in the House, and he lacks the situational awareness himself to know what can pass and what cannot.”

The nod to the funding fight in Congress that resulted in Trump’s asking for a debt ceiling suspension or extension being nixed from a continuing resolution preceded Massie’s direct response to specific parts of Gingrich’s statement.

Regarding what GOP Johnson opponents hoped “to gain,” the congressman asserted, “A competent Speaker who has the will and the ability to capitalize on this once-in-a-decade opportunity.”

Faulting Johnson for nearly bringing about a minority to kick off Trump’s White House return and warning it could still happen come the 2026 midterm, Massie then refuted the “somewhat ridiculous” electability argument from the incumbent speaker.

“He was only electable the first time because he hadn’t held any type of leadership position, nor had he ever fought for anything, so no one disliked him and everyone was tired of voting,” wrote the Kentucky legislator who described Johnson as formerly “the least objectionable candidate.”

As to a “risk” to Trump’s victory, Massie pushed back on the notion as a “scare tactic” before asserting it was Johnson, and not his opposition, that stood as “allies of the Democrats,” sharing the roll call for the motion to table an attempt to vacate the speaker that had kept him secure in his spot.

“In closing, the emperor has no clothes and the entire conference knows it but few will say it. The general public knows it too. Please don’t shoot the messengers,” expressed the lawmaker as primary threats had been put on the table for those Republicans who took stances opposing the president-elect.

Recently, the notion that Johnson even had the votes for re-election with negotiation had been put in doubt as Texas Rep. Chip Roy (R), who secured a voice for the Freedom Caucus on the House Rules Committee during the voting marathon that began now-former California Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s short-lived tenure as speaker, expressed hesitancy.

“I remain undecided,” he said during a recent appearance on Fox Business, “as do a number of my colleagues because we saw so many of the failures last year that we are concerned about that might limit or inhibit our ability to advance the president’s agenda.”

Suggesting Johnson doesn’t have the votes looking ahead to Friday, Roy said, “There are other members of leadership in the conference who could do the job. But what we need to do is unite around a plan to deliver for the president. Right now, I do not believe the conference has that. The failure before Christmas, I cannot overstate, it’s a glimpse to come, if we don’t organize the conference.”

As other names were floated for speaker, including some outside of Congress like Elon Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Massie suggested Johnson would be the “next Paul Ryan.” Gingrich indirectly furthered his argument on X.

“I [accept] and agree with the frustration of those who would like a more successful and more aggressively conservative [House GOP],” he wrote while mentioning his efforts with 1994’s Contract with America. “The CONTRARIANS live in a fantasy land where they can avoid the hard work and force change by having temper tantrums. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.”

Kevin Haggerty
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