House Speaker Mike Johnson says Republicans can still overcome historically tough midterms even with a razor-thin House majority, arguing that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open would help lawmakers refocus on “kitchen table issues.” He linked high gas prices t
House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted Sunday that Republicans can still win the midterm elections despite a razor-thin margin in the House, hinging that optimism on one immediate geopolitical condition: keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
During an appearance on “Fox News Sunday. ” Johnson said the blockade-style pressure on energy flows is what has pulled attention away from domestic priorities. pushing voters’ frustration toward costs they feel at the pump.. He acknowledged gas prices are “too high” and tied them directly to the Strait of Hormuz. describing it as the source of a chain of effects that reaches everyday life.
“We were talking about the Strait of Hormuz. Really, all points lead back to that,” Johnson told host Shannon Bream. “Gas prices are too high because of that, and then that has an effect on how goods are transported to the grocery store and all the rest.”
Johnson argued that once the Strait is “straightened out. ” lawmakers could return to what he called the “kitchen table issues. ” including the economic agenda Republicans have pushed since taking major steps in Congress.. He pointed to tax relief and legislation he said is aimed at pro-growth policy and job-and-payroll outcomes.
“So. as soon as we get that straightened out. we will get back to the kitchen table issues. the economic issues that we put in place to make the economy grow. ” Johnson said.. “The working families tax cut. the big beautiful bill. all the legislation we passed put in pro-growth policies that will lead to bigger paychecks.”
He also referenced refunds, saying Republicans’ policies already produced “the largest tax refunds we’ve had in a long, long time,” adding that he expects people to feel the effects before they go vote in the midterm.
“We already had the largest tax refunds we’ve had in a long, long time because of our policies, and so we’re really excited [and] anxious for that to be resolved so that people will feel that, and I think they will before they go vote in the midterm,” he added.
The argument is being made against a backdrop of voter dissatisfaction and polling that Johnson did not distance himself from.. The discussion comes as the U.S.. faces high prices for gas and oil. tied in this telling to Tehran closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to joint U.S.-Israel strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other top-ranking officials.
Johnson also pointed to public momentum for President Donald Trump. saying Trump faces record-level law approval ratings. citing recent polling that places the president at just around 35 percent approval.. He framed the political task ahead as a chance to overcome tough history: the party in power faces steep losses in the first midterms after a presidential election if it also controls the White House.
Alongside the economic stakes, Johnson addressed the strain inside his own caucus while trying to govern with minimal room for error. With the House majority so narrow, he said even small disagreements can carry outsize influence on final votes.
The most recent War Powers vote—described as the third attempt to pass a measure limiting the president from any further military action without congressional approval—ended in a 212-212 count.. Johnson said the situation reflects the ongoing friction of a party forced to operate with a razor-thin margin.
“You see dissent here every day,” Johnson said. “I mean, I deal with it all day long with the smallest margin in U.S. history, working through people’s philosophical differences and preferences.”
He added that despite internal disagreement, he believes the party’s structure and energy can carry it through.
“But, you know, this is a vibrant party. It’s a strong party,” he said. “We’re in great position to win the midterms, defy history and win the midterms, and we’re excited about that, working every day to make sure that happens so we can keep this agenda going to bring America back.”
The thread Johnson drew links Tehran’s closing of the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S.-Israel strikes to high gas and oil prices, which he said then feeds into transportation costs that reach groceries—an economic pressure point he connected to voter mood and timing ahead of the midterm elections.
For Johnson. the political calculation runs alongside a second constraint: with the House majority tight enough to produce an even 212-212 War Powers vote. he described day-to-day “dissent” among GOP members as something he must keep managing even as he argues Republicans are positioned to “defy history” and hold both Chambers.
Mike Johnson House Speaker Strait of Hormuz midterm elections gas prices War Powers vote GOP dissent Ayatollah Ali Khamenei U.S.-Israel strikes kitchen table issues