Mike Johnson's No 2 launches GOP takeover bid as House falls to Democrats

Prominent House Republicans are beginning to fight over who will be President Donald Trump's top defender amid a likely barrage of Democrat-led investigations.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., has begun informing his colleagues that he intends to run for the GOP's top leadership spot after Republicans lost their chamber majority in the 2026 midterms, two sources told Fox News Digital.

One source described his pitch: "His number one goal will be to lead the conference back into the majority. He is a proven and tested leader who is ready on day one. He’s spent his career unifying Republicans, and he is prepared for the big legislative and oversight battles ahead. The conference knows him, how he fights, and that he’s a trusted leader."

Scalise has spent more than a decade in House GOP leadership, but prior bids to ascend to the top spot have failed. That includes his October 2023 bid to succeed exiled former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., when Scalise ultimately failed to get enough support to move to a House-wide vote.

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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, speaks at a press conference with other members of House Republican leadership in Washington, D.C., on May 20, 2025. (Getty Images)

His decision to seek the minority leader role will set up a brutal battle against House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who will mount his own campaign to lead the GOP minority.

It comes on the heels of his ally, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., telling his staff that he will not seek to lead the House GOP in the next Congress.

Winning the House minority leader job is a far easier task than becoming speaker. Whereas the latter role needs a majority of the entire 435-seat House body, a minority leader only needs to win more than 50% of lawmakers within their own party.

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Scalise has spent his nearly two decades in office building coalitions and winning allies that will give him a good shot at victory. He's also spent the campaign season crisscrossing the country to support House Republican candidates while raising millions of dollars for the GOP.

But that goodwill will be tested after Republicans suffered historic losses in Tuesday night's elections. Several House Republicans told Fox News Digital they wanted to see new leadership after the tidal wave of Democrat victories.

"They should all step aside and let new people run," one House GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital on Wednesday morning.

President Donald Trump wraps up an appearance at a campaign rally at Pinnacle Bank Expo Center on the Nebraska State Fairgrounds on Oct. 5, 2026, in Grand Island, Neb. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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But whoever wins House minority leader will have the critical task of being Trump's top bulldog for the final two years of his term.

House Democrats have signaled they are ready for a wide array of investigations targeting the president's business interests, family and allies, and are even positioning to impeach his Cabinet officials.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com