House

Just 1 in 5 want Johnson replaced as Speaker: Survey

Only 1 in 5 Americans want Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to be replaced, according to a new poll, which also found Democrats are more positive about him than they were late last year. 

A quarter of respondents are opposed to replacing Johnson, according to the Monmouth University survey. 

Most people in the survey, 55 percent, said they do not have a view on the issue. 

The passing of the foreign aid package that included money for Ukraine and Israel slightly improved Johnson’s job rating, with 21 percent of those surveyed approving of his performance and 34 percent disapproving. Close to half of respondents, 45 percent, said they had no opinion on it, according to the poll. 

In December, Johnson’s approval rating was 17 percent, and one-third of respondents, 31 percent, did not approve of his job performance.

Johnson has grown more on Democrats, with 12 percent of surveyed Democrats having a more positive outlook on the Speaker, an increase from just 3 points in December. 

His Speakership has been threatened by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who introduced a motion to vacate in March, the same mechanism that led to the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last October.

Her push has won endorsements from GOP Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.), but it has not been supported by other conservatives who are also unhappy with Johnson’s negotiations involving big-ticket legislation. 

Unlike Democrats, Republicans have a more negative view of Johnson compared to December. 

The Speaker’s disapproval rating among surveyed Republicans sits at 19 percent, an increase from the 5 percent he had late last year. His approval rating among surveyed Republicans is nearly unchanged, dropping to 36 percent from 37 percent in December. 

The poll surveyed 808 adults from April 18-22 with a margin of error of 4.1 percent.