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House Speaker Mike Johnson defied the naysayers on Thursday, telling Daily Wire host Michael Knowles that Republicans will expand their majority in the 2026 midterm elections.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very bullish about the midterms,\u201d Johnson said during the interview. \u201cI\u2019m absolutely convinced we are going to win the midterms and grow the majority. It will defy historic trend.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Johnson acknowledged that such a result would break a longstanding pattern. \u201cIt\u2019s only twice in the last 90 years that a sitting president has picked up seats in that first two-year cycle,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Still, Johnson argued the political landscape favors Republicans, pointing to fundraising advantages and Democratic struggles to define a clear agenda.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe have a fundraising advantage right now because the stakes are so high \u2014 Republicans over Democrats for the first time in 10 years,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cDemocrats are at historic lows in approval ratings. They have no leadership, no message, no vision for where they\u2019re going.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTheir whole platform is they hate Donald Trump,\u201d he added. \u201cWell, good luck with that. That\u2019s not exactly something to sell to constituents.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Of all the issues Republicans are leading on, Johnson stressed election integrity, noting that the House has already passed the\u00a0SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and identification to vote in federal elections. Johnson told Knowles the problem is the Senate, where the legislation has been held up.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe passed the SAVE Act twice, the previous Congress and this Congress,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cNow we pass the Save America Act because now it\u2019s voter ID and proof of citizenship together.\u201d He added that Trump has recently pushed for additional provisions to strengthen the bill, calling the package the \u201cgreatest hits\u201d of election integrity measures.<\/span><\/p>\n Johnson said the bill now faces a complicated path in the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune must decide whether to attempt moving the legislation despite procedural hurdles. According to Johnson, Senate rules could allow Democrats to stall the process with a flood of amendments.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re concerned that if they open the talking filibuster \u2026 Democrats could flood the field with thousands of amendments,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThere\u2019s no germaneness limitation. They can add any crazy Democrat policy they want.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He warned that under Senate rules, each amendment must be read into the record in full, which could tie up the chamber. \u201cThey could file 1,400-page amendments and tie the Senate floor up for months,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThat\u2019s what they\u2019re concerned about.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Johnson said he has discussed the issue directly with Trump and that the president believes Republicans should move forward despite the risks. \u201cDesperate times call for desperate measures,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI talked to the president about the risks versus the benefits, and he said, \u2018Let\u2019s risk it. Go for it.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Johnson argued that voter ID and citizenship verification requirements enjoy broad public support and are necessary to restore trust in elections.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t have a constitutional republic if people don\u2019t have faith in the election system,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThese are basic requirements.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Johnson also addressed the challenges of managing the razor-thin Republican majority in the House, which has forced leadership to carefully balance competing factions inside the conference.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI mean, we have the smallest margin in U.S. history,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI have a one-vote margin. Which means I have to get unanimity because the aforementioned colleague of mine votes no almost every day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The comment was in reference to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who is in the midst of a feud with President Trump and frequently breaks with party leadership on spending and foreign policy issues.<\/span><\/p>\n Johnson pushed back on the notion that internal disagreements reflect a broader ideological divide over the party\u2019s direction on foreign policy, insisting Republicans are not pursuing an interventionist approach.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are not in the nation-building business,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWe are not interventionists. We are not out trying to be the world\u2019s policemen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He added that fiscal realities also limit America\u2019s ability to pursue large-scale overseas commitments. \u201cIn reality, because of our financial situation, we don\u2019t have the ability to do those things even if someone wanted to,\u201d Johnson said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n