Mike Johnson says leading the House is like being a ‘mental health counselor’ and ‘firefighter’ with constant emergencies
Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that running the narrow Republican majority feels like juggling the duties of an over‑taxed “mental health counselor” and “firefighter,” always on standby for political crises and legislative drama.
His wife, Kelly, who revealed she’s a “really remarkable” portrait artist, added that the role is anything but glamorous—just a steady stream of phone calls, take‑out dinners, and their 15‑year‑old son getting “embarrassed” when his dad drives him to school.
Johnson explained how the new responsibilities had reshaped his family life during an interview on “The Katie Miller Podcast.” He described the job as “an all‑encompassing, literal 24‑hour, 7‑day‑a‑week, assignment.”
A father of four from Louisiana, Johnson said he applies the same parenting tricks he uses at home to deal with the many personalities and factions in the House. “We have this joke that I’m not really a Speaker of the House. I’m really like a mental health counselor,” he laughed, “and so when the pressure gets turned up really high…”.
He continued, “And sometimes those are long counseling sessions, but we get that done,” adding, “it’s not unlike, I mean, it’s the same skills you use as a parent.”
Kelly agreed that the most frustrating part of the job is the lack of any downtime. “Hardly any downtime,” she said. Johnson echoed that sentiment, saying, “No, that’s right.” He described night‑time call‑outs like, “I mean, even when you think, like, the work of the day is done, and you put the phone down—this would be 11:30 at night—ring, ring… another crisis.” He then compared the constant pressure to being “sort of a firefighter in a way. You have to put out fires every, you know, every hour.”
Johnson called the daily balancing act a “daily triage.” He noted that keeping a schedule becomes almost impossible when “there’s an emergency every 10 minutes,” and that everything feels like survival mode.
Because he’s second in line for the presidency, Johnson now travels in a motorcade with a tactical unit and a police escort, which complicates even simple errands. He said, “It’s such an ordeal. I very seldom go out.” He admitted that the role forces him to sacrifice ordinary pleasures, saying, “I hate it because I’m just a regular guy, you know, but you’re not when you’re Speaker of the House.”
Kelly reminded listeners that each morning involves dropping their son off at school in the protective motorcade, a routine that makes the 15‑year‑old feel “embarrassed.”
When asked about perks, the couple struggled to name any. Kelly said, “You know, I would say there’s not a lot of perks.” Johnson concurred, but he did mention his fondness for the Speaker’s Balcony, calling it a small bright spot in the chaos.
With the holidays approaching, Johnson reflected that he hasn’t had a vacation day in two years. When his wife suggested he might have had one last Christmas, he replied, “Maybe Christmas Day, but even then — yeah even then, last Christmas I’m taking calls from members with their drama.”
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