For now, at least, Speaker Mike Johnson has largely picked up where his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, left off, getting whacked around like a piñata by members of the House Freedom Caucus. Sure, the majority of House Republicans are still urging their colleagues to “give him grace”—as if they know what that concept means—and let him work his way into the job. “His greatest skill is that he can disagree with you without being disagreeable, which is important in a three-vote majority,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota, who affirmed to me that Johnson was gaining support. “There’s a reason no one has vacated the speaker in 100 years: Learning on the fly is pretty tough.”