Speaker Mike Johnson has the power to replace the current House clerk with a loyalist who could refuse to list Democrats on the roll of those elected to the 120th Congress.

Posted by Letters from an American, Sep 13, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 3 support2 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 60%

Letters from an AmericanSep 13, 2026

September 12, 2026 Judge J. Michael Luttig published a warning about how Republicans could refuse to seat elected Democrats after the midterm elections, Speaker Mike Johnson has the power to replace the current House clerk with a MAGA loyalist who will refuse to list Democrats on the roll of those elected to the 120th Congress, In this scenario, Democrats will have to go to the courts, perhaps eventually the Supreme Court, which would take weeks, leaving the country vulnerable, Trump’s plan to use the US Postal Service to screen mailed-in votes is being tested in Florida, and …

18 claimsThe check →

The sources support that the Speaker has the power to remove the House clerk: the CRS footnote says the Clerk may be removed by the House or the Speaker, and Luttig's account, repeated by Truthdig and Alternet, cites Rule II, Clause 1 for unilateral removal.

This claim is in the show notes, the publisher's own words. It counts against the post, once.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What we found

Supports. CRS (2017) states that under House Rule II the Clerk, Sergeant at Arms, and chief administrative officer 'may be removed either by the House or the Speaker.'[1]

Supports. Truthdig and Alternet, both relaying Luttig's analysis, say Rule II, Clause 1 gives the Speaker unilateral power to remove the incumbent clerk and replace him temporarily under 2 U.S.C. § 5501(a); these are secondary accounts of the same argument rather than independent confirmation.[3][4]

Context. The refusal to list Democrats is Luttig's predicted scenario for January 3, 2027, framed as a warning; no source reports that a clerk has refused or that a replacement has occurred, so this part is a projection and not checkable as of the claim date.[4][5]

Context. The GPO House Practice guide (2026) confirms the Constitution directs the House to choose its Speaker and other officers, including the Clerk, but does not itself address removal.[2]