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During an interview on CNBC on Tuesday, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) attempted to persuade viewers to vote for Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, suggesting that Americans want a repeat of the last two years, despite polling indicating otherwise.
“What we would do in the next two years is exactly what we have been doing already,” Johnson said, attempting to make the case for his party retaining control of Congress.
Johnson also claimed that the GOP is “putting the conditions in place for a strong America,” citing a supposed “vibrant economy” — disregarding a number of worrying trends, including rising grocery costs, gas prices exceeding $5 per gallon on average across the country, and other indicators demonstrating that the “Trump economy” isn’t delivering what was promised.
“We have so much more to do, and we can make things so much better,” Johnson added in his televised appeal to voters.
Many critics have lambasted congressional Republicans for acting as a “rubber stamp” for President Donald Trump’s executive actions. In response to Johnson’s interview, one Democratic lawmaker condemned Republicans for defending Trump’s agenda at every turn.
“Protecting child predators, facilitating extra-judicial murders, jacking up everyone’s prices through tariffs and military misadventures, all so that Donald Trump can get rich and he doesn’t yell at you, is a hell of a closing message,” wrote Rep. Sean Casten (D-Illinois) on Bluesky. “But totally on brand for Mr. Johnson.”
Johnson’s remarks come as the Republican Party is polling poorly among voters. According to an Economist/YouGov poll published on Tuesday, the Republican Party’s net favorability rating is presently -25 points among likely voters. While both parties have negative marks from voters, that number is significantly worse than the Democrats’ -15 point approval rating.
Voters are split when it comes to whether the Democratic Party is extreme. But a majority of likely voters, 56 percent, view the GOP as extreme, while only 39 percent disagree.
Asked who they plan to vote for in the 2026 elections, 53 percent of likely voters said they were backing the Democratic option in their House district, while only 38 percent said they were going to vote for the Republican — a 15-point difference in favor of a change in leadership.
Political observers have noted that Republicans’ continued fealty to Trump is likely dragging them down further in the polls. Indeed, Trump’s approval rating average is dipping into the low 30s and sinking even into the 20s range in some surveys, potentially spelling disaster for the GOP come November.
An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll from earlier this month asked voters whether their preference in congressional races was based on being “a vote for President Trump,” with only 24 percent saying that it was. Meanwhile, a plurality of respondents, 45 percent, said their pending choice was meant to signal “a vote against President Trump.”
In spite of mounting evidence of voter dissatisfaction with Republicans, Johnson has indicated that he believes the GOP will retain control of Congress.
“We’re gonna win the midterms. I’m very bullish about the outcome. … This is a God thing,” Johnson said in July.
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