Trump is ‘on the ballot’ in November midterms, Johnson says

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled Tuesday that Republicans will continue to align closely with President Donald Trump as the November midterm elections draw closer.

“The American people will understand that they East on the ballot, at least in a metaphorical sense, because if we lost the midterm elections, everyone knows the chaos that would ensue,” the House leader told NBC News reporter Scott Wong.

Johnson made the remarks at the annual House Republicans policy retreat, taking place this year at the Trump Golf Course and Resort in Doral, Fla., where Republican lawmakers gather to set policy goals ahead of the midterm elections and beyond.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., left, and President Donald Trump shake hands during an Invest America roundtable discussion in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, June 9, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He said Trump was also going to play an “active” role in the next election cycle.

“President Trump is going to be…he’s engaged, he’s going to show up like 2024. He’s going to do rallies and hold events, and he’s already doing that now,” Johnson said.

“He’s going to be heavily involved. And he’s still the machine for our side – as well as the other side, I admit.”

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York on October 27, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

The speaker’s comments are not surprising given Trump’s continued command and influence over the Republican Party, but tying Republicans so closely to a sitting president in a midterm year could be considered a risky strategy.

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Political history dictates that the party holding all the levers of power in Washington at the start of a presidential term – in this case the Republicans – generally loses control of one or both houses of Congress during the following election cycle.

This happened most recently during former President Joe Biden’s term, when Republicans reclaimed the majority in the House in the 2022 elections and won the Senate in the following 2024 cycle.

President Donald Trump applauds as U.S. Captain E. Royce Williams receives the Medal of Honor during the State of the Union address on the House floor of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, February 24, 2026. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

But Johnson has been and continues to be optimistic about Republicans’ chances of reversing that trend in November.

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“I think there are so many factors in our favor. I think the energy and enthusiasm will be on our side,” Johnson said. “I can’t wait for the midterm convention we’ll have before early voting begins in the fall, where we’ll parade all of our stars onto the stage and talk about all the great things we’ve done for the American people.

“This is a midterm like no other. So I tell you, don’t bet against the House Republicans.”