Speaker Mike Johnson Urges GOP To Take Grievances Offline As Internal Rift Deepens

Washington — Speaker Asks Republicans To Bring Complaints Privately

House Speaker Mike Johnson urged fellow Republicans Thursday to stop airing internal disputes on social media and to bring concerns to him directly, lamenting that public venting undermines party unity after a turbulent week.

“They’re going to get upset about things. That’s part of the process,” Johnson told reporters. “It doesn’t bother me. But when there is a conflict or concern, I always ask all members to come to me, don’t go to social media.”

That request, however, has gone largely unheeded as fractures in the GOP conference surfaced publicly. Leaders and rank-and-file members traded sharp criticisms, multiple discharge petitions forced floor action, and a leadership-backed bill collapsed — developments that have increased concerns among Republicans about holding the House majority next year.

Discharge Petitions Highlight Frustration

Frustrated lawmakers turned to discharge petitions — a tool that forces a floor vote once 218 signatures are gathered — to move measures that leadership would not schedule. A high-profile petition reached the threshold to release files connected to Jeffrey Epstein, and other petitions targeted a repeal of former President Trump’s executive order limiting federal collective bargaining and a ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks, the latter filed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.

“The discharge petition, I think, always shows a bit of frustration,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who signed petitions to release the Epstein files and to ban congressional stock trading, said she had conveyed her displeasure to Johnson in a phone call and in a “deeply personal, deeply passionate letter,” arguing that the conference is increasingly forced to legislate by petition.

Leadership Rift: Stefanik and Others Speak Out

At the center of the public leadership criticism was Rep. Elise Stefanik, chair of House Republican leadership, who said a provision she championed was left out of the defense authorization bill and accused the speaker of lying about his awareness of that provision. Stefanik told The Wall Street Journal she sees Johnson as a “political novice.”

Johnson said he had a “great talk” with Stefanik the night before and called on colleagues to bring concerns directly to him instead of to the media. Illinois Rep. Mary Miller released a statement backing the speaker, saying disagreements exist but “our mission is bigger than any one individual or headline.”

Political Stakes And Election Signals

Tensions have been magnified by election results and internal fallout from redistricting efforts. In a Tennessee special election, Republican Matt Van Epps won by about nine percentage points in a district Republicans had carried by roughly 21 points in 2024 — a shift some GOP members described as a wake-up call.

Rep. Kevin Kiley of California and others warned that recent redistricting fights and losses in key races could imperil the GOP majority in 2026. Several House Republicans have announced retirements, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she will resign in January, citing frustration over the legislative sidelining this year.

What Comes Next

GOP lawmakers and leaders say they must decide whether to contain public infighting and pass substantive legislation that appeals to voters, or risk losing control of the House. Democrats have seized on the Republican discord, with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticizing the conference’s ability to legislate.

Associated Press reporters contributed to this report. Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed.