Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will not endorse Rep. Matt Rosendale’s (R-MT) expected Senate run after facing blowback from within Trumpworld and Montana’s congressional delegation.
Johnson called at least one Trump-aligned senator and one Trump-aligned congressman to tell them he has no plans to endorse Rosendale, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Punchbowl News reported that he would earlier Thursday morning, citing multiple sources.
Johnson’s political team pushed back on that characterization, telling the Washington Examiner he was “strongly considering it” but had not made a final decision. He instead decided on Thursday to skip the endorsement and write a check to the Rosendale campaign.
“The Speaker has committed to sending a contribution to Congressman Rosendale, as he has for other House colleagues and friends, but he has not made any endorsements in Senate races. He is singularly focused on growing the House majority,” Greg Steele, Johnson’s communications director, said in a statement.
Rosendale is preparing to launch a Montana Senate run in the coming days but faces deep opposition from national Republicans and allies of former President Donald Trump, who want to see entrepreneur and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy win the GOP nomination.
Montana is perhaps the single most important Senate race this cycle and could very well determine who controls the upper chamber next year.
Johnson faced intense backlash over the initial decision from Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), among others. “Strong opinions were shared,” according to one source.
Zinke, the former interior secretary under Trump, is backing Sheehy in the race.
Sheehy also has major institutional support from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, not to mention the backing of the influential Club for Growth.
The controversy follows on the heels of twin legislative setbacks this week for Johnson. The speaker failed to impeach President Joe Biden’s border chief or usher Israel aid across the House floor on Tuesday.
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Rosendale, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, surprised political spectators when he voted for the Israel aid despite it lacking budget offsets.
This is not the first blowback the congressman has faced from Trumpworld. Allies of the former president slammed Rosendale after the Montana GOP canceled the keynote address of a pro-Trump speaker over his criticism of the congressman, a story first reported by the Washington Examiner.
Cami Mondeaux contributed to this story.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with comment from Johnson’s political team.
