House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) remembers the exact moment his life changed from being a “regular guy” representing his Louisiana district to the world’s busiest political fireman.
It was Oct. 25, 2023, when he was unanimously elected speaker by the Republican caucus after three weeks of chaos.
“I was on the leadership team. I was the number seven-ranked Republican; no one cared or knew,” he recalled.
Then the party turned to him as its fourth choice to replace ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
“[Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC)] was the interim speaker for that three weeks of turmoil,” he recalled on the Katie Miller Pod. “After I was elected, he handed me the gavel, and he said, ‘You know, when I hand you this gavel, your life’s never going to be the same.’ And I went, ‘Ha, ha, ha, ha. I had no idea,” Johnson said.
McHenry was right. “My life is not normal right now,” Johnson told Miller, the wife of White House Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
In this episode, I sit down with @SpeakerJohnson and his wife Kelly for a conversation about family life in Washington, the pressures of the speakership, faith, parenting, and more.
0:00 – Introduction
2:08 – From Rank-and-File Member to Speaker
3:02 – Preparing Children for… pic.twitter.com/NO6xmg4oGh— The Katie Miller Podcast (@katiemillerpod) November 25, 2025
In a wide-ranging interview, Johnson and his wife, Kelly Johnson, described the dramatic changes in their life, such as moving full-time to Washington and their 24/7 security.
Asked what the most surprising thing that happened when he became speaker, Mike Johnson said, “I guess this, what we’re describing, the all-in commitment.”
SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS
He said his job is even tougher because of the razor-thin majority the GOP has in the House. That means no vacations and nearly no days off.
His wife said that Christmas was their last day with no speaker duties. But he said, “Even then, last Christmas, I’m taking calls from members with their drama, you know. So, I mean, that’s part of it. We accept the responsibility. It’s for a season of life, it’s not forever, but it takes everything out of whomever serves in a position and, by extension, of their family.”