With only a week before the midterm elections and as some polls are noting that Republicans could be falling behind Democrats, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, is expressing confidence in his party’s chances.
During an Oct. 25 appearance on Fox News, the Louisiana Congressman said he believed polls showing large Democratic leads were “wrong,” as they underestimate the GOP and its voters.
“Republicans are no longer responding to polls,” he told host Shannon Bream. “I’ve been in 21 states, 39 districts just in the last three weeks… and we’re having hundreds of people turn out for these events (and) it’s an excitement level like 2024. When I’m in these big arenas, Shannon, I ask for hands, ‘show me your hand if you’ve answered a poll in the last six months,’ and there will be like three hands among 300 people. I’m telling you these polls are off, all of them, because they’re using faulty analysis.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks in support of Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) during a campaign event at the Scott County Republican headquarters on October 09, 2026 in Davenport, Iowa.
Johnson’s comments come as Republicans continue to trail Democrats in various polls released in the past week.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Oct. 26, Democrats held a nine percentage point lead over the GOP among likely voters. That large lead comes amid growing frustration with President Donald Trump‘s economy, with only 25% of respondents approving of the president’s economic performance.
Poll: Trump approval ticks up as GOP trails before midterms
A confident Johnson
In the lead-up to the midterms and amid a polling deficit, Johnson continues to express confidence in his party’s chances.
In an interview with CBS News earlier in October, Johnson said he planned to remain as the leader of the Republicans in the House in the “unlikely scenario” that his party loses control of the chamber.
“I want to be of my highest and best use to God in my country, and I feel like at this stage of life, I’m doing what I’m called to do, and so I intend to lead as Speaker,” Johnson said. “But in the unlikely scenario where we lost the majority, I would expect my colleagues would ask me to continue leading this conference, even if we have divided government.”
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Johnson calls polls showing large Democratic leads ‘wrong’
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