Fewer than half of House Republicans bothered to attend Speaker Mike Johnson’s retreat

It’s wild what a few short months of actually getting to know a person can do to your opinion of them. That’s what House Republicans seem to have learned since October, when they replaced the glad-handing Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., with smarmy fundamentalist Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., for the Speaker of the House role. Johnson’s election was treated like a big win at the time. Republicans were unified in cheering and chanting “Mike! Mike!” like they were celebrating a championship-winning quarterback, instead of a guy who serves creepy youth pastor vibes.

Johnson’s popularity lasted as long as an embarrassing dance craze, however. It hasn’t been five months and already Johnson’s colleagues are pulling the Mariah Carey “I don’t know her” bit. Tuesday, CNN reported that fewer than 100 House Republicans bothered to RSVP for their congressional retreat in West Virginia this week, meaning that less than half the caucus showed up.