It turns out House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had a quiet mentor who helped pull off the biggest accomplishment of his rocky seven months with the gavel — defying his right wing to pass a vital aid package for Israel and Ukraine.
- John Boehner — an establishment Republican who was speaker a decade ago chronologically, but an eon ago in the GOP's radical evolution — has become a surprising tutor to the novice, full-MAGA speaker.
Why it matters: The two men have bridged generational, ideological and stylistic gulfs to form an extremely rare connection between today's hard-right Republicans and the pre-Trump party of Bush, McCain and Romney.
