House Speaker Mike Johnson reported Sunday that trust in government has reached catastrophic lows, a disturbing trend the Louisiana Republican observed while his party simultaneously controls the White House, Senate, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court.
"People's faith in the government is at an all-time low," Johnson said during the fifth consecutive day of a government shutdown that occurred after Republicans in the House disagreed with Republicans in the Senate about funding the government led by a Republican president. "Real Americans are being harmed by this crisis of confidence."
The Speaker attributed the shutdown to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's refusal to cooperate, explaining that the Democratic leader's control over 47 of 100 Senate votes had somehow overpowered the Republican majority's 53 votes, the Republican Speaker's gavel, and the Republican president's veto pen. Johnson blamed Schumer for "political games" preventing the GOP trifecta from keeping operational the government it has run since January 2025.
"Chuck Schumer is afraid he's going to get a challenge from the Marxist left," Johnson said, describing the 74-year-old career centrist as a puppet of radicals while explaining why Republicans cannot fund their own government. The Speaker added that Democrats want to extend healthcare subsidies that primarily benefit Trump voters as part of a sinister plot to harm Republicans politically.
Johnson, who sent House members home to their districts after passing a continuing resolution, expressed bewilderment that military families facing their first missed paycheck might question the competence of the institution he leads. The evangelical Christian—who has dedicated his career to arguing government programs are inherently wasteful and inferior to private sector solutions—appeared genuinely puzzled why Americans lack confidence in government efficacy.
When pressed on whether he supported extending the healthcare tax credits, Johnson explained he could not possibly stake out a policy position because he must build consensus among the 219 Republicans who comprise his majority, control every committee, and set the legislative agenda without requiring a single Democratic vote.
"We need to restore faith in our institutions," said the Speaker, who recently pledged to dismantle the administrative state while wondering aloud why public trust in administration has collapsed.
At press time, Johnson was confidently predicting Americans would blame Democrats for the Republican government shutdown, noting that minority parties traditionally bear responsibility for legislative failures in one-party governance.
