Speaker Mike Johnson walked into a studio on Sunday and told host Shannon Bream that the polls are flat-out wrong. He said the surveys showing Democrats with an edge rely on faulty analysis that misses the real mood in the country. The numbers look bad for Republicans, but Johnson insists the data does not match what he sees on the ground.
During the interview on Fox News Sunday, Bream laid out the latest Fox News power rankings. The forecast showed 219 seats solidly Democrat and 198 for Republicans, leaving 18 as toss-ups. Even with a good night for the GOP, the model predicted Democrats would still hold a majority.
Johnson pointed to recent failures in the polling world to explain the gap. He noted that two organizations were exposed for completely fraudulent numbers just last week. He also cited a CNN story from less than a week ago. An average shortfall of four points in Republican representation was identified in 14 of the 16 October polls covered by that report. The speaker believes Republicans simply are not answering the phone anymore.
To prove his point, he described his own recent trips. He has visited 21 states and 39 districts in the last three weeks alone. He goes to swing districts where his team hopes to flip seats from blue to red. He claims these gatherings attract hundreds of attendees, generating a 2024-style atmosphere of excitement. According to Breitbart, he told the host he asks for a show of hands in these big arenas. When he asks who has answered a poll in the last six months, only three hands go up among 300 people.
Americans face a simple question: what is best for me and my family, my children, and my aging parents?
Republicans offer common sense solutions and a steady hand at the wheel — while the Democrats are going crazy.
My full conversation with @ShannonBream on @FoxNewsSunday 📺👇 https://t.co/9jelB4iPWO
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) October 25, 2026
While dismissing the polls, Johnson also defended his party’s work. He told The Daily Caller that his team has an extraordinary record of delivering for the American people. He listed several achievements, including securing the border and cutting $1.6 trillion in spending. He claimed the party passed the largest tax cut in U.S. history and cut massive Biden-era regulations. He also noted the economy added one million jobs in the private sector over the last 19 months.
Bream pressed him on whether the party has a messaging problem, noting that people feel pessimistic about the economy. She asked if something was lost in translation. Johnson responded by citing a hostile media environment. He admitted that gas prices are too high and that more work needs to be done. However, he framed the election as a choice between his party’s steady hand and Democrats who want to ban fossil fuels.
The speaker remains confident despite the conflicting data. He told the host that the country is on the right course. He argued that voters will choose stability over the chaos he attributes to Democrats. The final forecast from Fox News suggests Democrats could end up with 237 seats if things go well for them. Johnson says that prediction is wrong because the analysis is flawed.
