WASHINGTON — Few could credibly dispute that House Speaker Mike Johnson came out of the 43-day federal government shutdown last week as one of the strongest Republican House leaders in years.

Johnson’s strategy: Democrats would capitulate if Republicans refused to negotiate on their key point — extending tax credits that help more than 20 million Americans, 293,000 of whom live in Louisiana pay for health insurance — until the government reopened.

It worked.

“Republicans stood together and faced down the Democrats. The whole thing was foolish and utterly pointless,” Johnson said Friday on Fox Business’ "Mornings with Maria. " “This is not your father’s Democrat Party. They’re Marxists now.”

Whether Republicans or Democrats “won” the shutdown is the subject of great debate.

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