Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) says he would talk to President Trump before making any legislative move to claw back power if the president overstepped his constitutional authority.
Johnson’s comments came at an Axios event Wednesday during which reporter Hans Nichols started a line of questioning by saying Johnson had ceded a lot of constitutional authority to the president.
“I don’t agree with that,” Johnson interjected.
“I’m a constitutional law attorney. I’m a jealous guardian of Article 1 power and the separation of powers and constitutional balance,” he said.
“Whomever is the president of whatever party, they do have a broad degree of latitude, for example, to deal with unfair trade partners and trade practices,” Johnson added, referring to tariff policy.
The Speaker said he would step in if Trump overextended on his authority — but not without personally talking to the president first.
“If it gets close to where the imbalance is there, then we would step in,” Johnson said. “But I think the first protocol, to be very frank, is I would call the president and talk with him about that and tell him our concerns.”
Johnson’s comments come as House Republicans have limited the ability of individual members, namely Democrats, to force votes on repealing Trump’s sprawling tariffs.
If there was consensus among House Republicans about Trump’s tariffs, Johnson added, he would lead the House in taking action, but he said he does not expect that to be necessary.
Johnson and Trump have a close relationship, with the Speaker noting Tuesday morning he had already talked to the president twice earlier in the day.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
