On June 15, 2025, President-elect Donald Trump told Fox News Digital that House Speaker Mike Johnson will “easily remain speaker” in the next Congress, set to vote on January 3, 2025, if he “acts decisively and tough” and avoids Democratic “traps” in the spending package, particularly regarding the debt ceiling. This came after a bipartisan deal to prevent a government shutdown collapsed, with Trump warning that supporting a bill without addressing the debt ceiling—termed “Democrat quicksand”—should lead to primary challenges. Vice President-elect JD Vance met Johnson for a productive hour-long discussion on a continuing resolution, expressing optimism about resolving issues. However, a slimmed-down 116-page bill, extending funding to March 14 and suspending the debt limit with $110 billion in disaster relief, failed 174-235, needing a two-thirds majority, as 38 Republicans, including Chip Roy, opposed it, citing a $5 trillion debt increase. The midnight Friday deadline looms, with uncertainty over a viable GOP plan. (
