Molly Ball

And his strategy is just stick as close to Trump as possible and get Trump to do the heavy lifting when necessary because Republicans in the House and Senate want a lot of things, but they do not want to be seen as defying Trump or rebelling against him and So if Trump comes in and says, I'm going to go after you if you don't do what I want, they're going to do what he wants.

And his strategy is just stick as close to Trump as possible and get Trump to do the heavy lifting when necessary because Republicans in the House and Senate want a lot of things, but they do not want to be seen as defying Trump or rebelling against him and So if Trump comes in and says, I'm going to go after you if you don't do what I want, they're going to do what he wants.

And his strategy is just stick as close to Trump as possible and get Trump to do the heavy lifting when necessary because Republicans in the House and Senate want a lot of things, but they do not want to be seen as defying Trump or rebelling against him and So if Trump comes in and says, I'm going to go after you if you don't do what I want, they're going to do what he wants.

The phones in Congress have also been literally ringing off the hook, right?

The phones in Congress have also been literally ringing off the hook, right?

The phones in Congress have also been literally ringing off the hook, right?

It's a great question, and it was a major topic of my conversation with Johnson when I interviewed him for this piece. You know, Mike Johnson's background is he's a constitutional lawyer, and he will tell you he's a big Article I guy. Now, what is Article I? Literally the first thing in the Constitution is Congress, and the president comes after that.

It's a great question, and it was a major topic of my conversation with Johnson when I interviewed him for this piece. You know, Mike Johnson's background is he's a constitutional lawyer, and he will tell you he's a big Article I guy. Now, what is Article I? Literally the first thing in the Constitution is Congress, and the president comes after that.

It's a great question, and it was a major topic of my conversation with Johnson when I interviewed him for this piece. You know, Mike Johnson's background is he's a constitutional lawyer, and he will tell you he's a big Article I guy. Now, what is Article I? Literally the first thing in the Constitution is Congress, and the president comes after that.

And so Congress, members of Congress will often point to this to say, actually, you know, we're more important. And the Constitution does suggest that the legislative branch is the primary locus of power when it comes to setting policy, and the president is sort of secondary.

And so Congress, members of Congress will often point to this to say, actually, you know, we're more important. And the Constitution does suggest that the legislative branch is the primary locus of power when it comes to setting policy, and the president is sort of secondary.

And so Congress, members of Congress will often point to this to say, actually, you know, we're more important. And the Constitution does suggest that the legislative branch is the primary locus of power when it comes to setting policy, and the president is sort of secondary.

So you would think that there would be a lot of tension, right, at a time when the president is doing a lot of things that critics and some courts think go beyond the power that the Constitution gives him. Shouldn't it be up to Congress to push back against that, to rein him in, to say, no, actually, that's our job? But Johnson believes that Trump is not doing anything to take away from Congress.

So you would think that there would be a lot of tension, right, at a time when the president is doing a lot of things that critics and some courts think go beyond the power that the Constitution gives him. Shouldn't it be up to Congress to push back against that, to rein him in, to say, no, actually, that's our job? But Johnson believes that Trump is not doing anything to take away from Congress.

So you would think that there would be a lot of tension, right, at a time when the president is doing a lot of things that critics and some courts think go beyond the power that the Constitution gives him. Shouldn't it be up to Congress to push back against that, to rein him in, to say, no, actually, that's our job? But Johnson believes that Trump is not doing anything to take away from Congress.

He believes that the stuff that Elon Musk is doing, for example, is great because it's stuff that Congress has tried and failed to do in the past. He says that, you know, they've tried to exercise oversight over agencies such as USAID, but been blocked by bureaucrats who wouldn't give them the information they needed to make the cuts they seek, for example.

He believes that the stuff that Elon Musk is doing, for example, is great because it's stuff that Congress has tried and failed to do in the past. He says that, you know, they've tried to exercise oversight over agencies such as USAID, but been blocked by bureaucrats who wouldn't give them the information they needed to make the cuts they seek, for example.

He believes that the stuff that Elon Musk is doing, for example, is great because it's stuff that Congress has tried and failed to do in the past. He says that, you know, they've tried to exercise oversight over agencies such as USAID, but been blocked by bureaucrats who wouldn't give them the information they needed to make the cuts they seek, for example.

So he completely rejects this idea that there is a constitutional crisis or a separation of powers issue here. And he believes that Congress is doing its job and is going to do its job by legislating and sort of carrying out the things that Trump has sort of started to do by executive order.

So he completely rejects this idea that there is a constitutional crisis or a separation of powers issue here. And he believes that Congress is doing its job and is going to do its job by legislating and sort of carrying out the things that Trump has sort of started to do by executive order.