House Speaker Mike Johnson is giving up his party leadership role, and leaked audio shows what Republicans were really planning behind closed doors.

• Johnson won't seek a Republican leadership post next session, following the party's losses in the midterms.
• In the leaked recording, he tells donors the real plan is to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid after the election, even though those programs are funded by people's own paycheck deductions.
• Donors want tax cuts and war spending kept intact, but are also nervous that the resulting deficit could eventually cause economic problems that hurt them too.
• Republicans already cut Medicaid and food stamps once and paid for it at the polls, which is why the bigger entitlement cuts are being saved for after voters aren't watching.
• Jim Jordan, who has a history of protecting a predatory coach, is positioned to take the next Republican leadership role, which critics link to his record of shielding the Epstein files from scrutiny.

Outlook: Expect a fight over Social Security and Medicare cuts to resurface after future elections, with the Epstein files becoming a flashpoint under new Republican leadership.