Mike Johnson Caves: Speaker Backs Down on DHS Funding Bill After Trump Intervention

House Speaker Mike Johnson agreed to a funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security on Friday, reversing his previous rejection of the Senate bill and averting a potential partial government shutdown. The decision comes after Johnson lambasted the bill last week and as recently as Thursday was attacking it as a plan orchestrated by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.).

The Senate passed the funding measure last week, which would have paid DHS workers by April 1. According to Punchbowl News’ CEO Anna Palmer and founder Jake Sherman, Johnson’s change of heart followed a Truth Social post from Donald Trump.

“It took them an extra five days, but Speaker Mike Johnson caved to Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.D.) plan to end the DHS shutdown. It’s amazing what a little bit of time and a Truth Social post from Donald Trump can do to change where certain lawmakers are on policy,” Palmer said.

Sherman described Johnson’s shift as a “complete…flip,” stating, “That is a flop. That is a cave, but it’s an absolute change in position.”

The agreement is expected to cause friction within the Republican party, particularly as the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) approaches on April 20. Lawmakers are not scheduled to return to Washington until April 16, potentially requiring Johnson to call members back to vote on the funding bill before addressing FISA.

Sherman suggested that handling both issues simultaneously would be difficult, stating, “If this happens during FISA week, they’re screwed,” referring to potential opposition from the hard-right faction of the party.

The White House is seeking a separate budget bill by June 1 focused on funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Through the recently passed “Big, Beautiful Bill,” ICE and CBP have continued to receive funding throughout the DHS shutdown, while other departments like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Secret Service have not.

Sherman expressed skepticism about the White House’s chances of securing its desired budget, noting that Republicans have other funding priorities ahead of the election, including healthcare provisions cut in the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” as well as potential defense spending increases and a request from Trump for $200 billion to fund a potential war with Iran. He stated, “Good luck. This will be the last train out of the station.”

Democrats have argued that the bill could have been passed in the Senate three weeks ago.