‘Good working relationship’: Speaker Johnson touts Trump partnership after Capitol Hill meeting

House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose future in the GOP leadership is on the line next year, said he’ll meet with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday following a closed-door event with Mr. Trump, who praised him in front of fellow Republican lawmakers.

At a meeting with House Republicans at party headquarters near the U.S. Capitol, Mr. Trump urged lawmakers to be “nice” to the speaker, who has been under fire from a small group of hardline conservatives over his cooperation with Democrats on recent legislation.

Mr. Trump is leading in the polls and rallied GOP lawmakers who hope to hold on to their House majority in November.

In introducing the former president, Mr. Johnson told lawmakers that enthusiasm is building for Republicans and Mr. Trump ahead of the 2024 election, pointing to Mr. Trump’s packed campaign rallies.

“There is something happening in the country,” Mr. Johnson said.

Mr. Johnson told reporters after the meeting that Mr Trump “said complimentary things,” about the current GOP leadership team, all of whom will soon be up for re-election in the conference.

Mr. Johnson will likely have to battle for another term in the speaker’s chair if the GOP holds onto the majority — and a Trump endorsement will be critical if the former president wins the White House in November.

“I’ll be with him in Mar-a-Lago on Monday,” Mr. Johnson said. “He’s excited. We are excited. We really think this will happen so it’s a good working relationship.”

Mr. Johnson said Republicans are planning an “aggressive” legislative agenda for 2025 and a new slate of GOP leaders would be disruptive.

Mr. Trump, Mr. Johnson suggested, agreed with him.

“We have to have continuity in leadership and we have to have a plan and it has to be very carefully executed,” Mr. Johnson said after meeting with Mr. Trump.

The former president, Mr. Johnson said, “brought an extraordinary amount of energy, excitement and enthusiasm this morning and that is what we are seeing in the party and throughout the country.”