GOP congressman: Mike Johnson has 'real and legitimate fear' of being ousted by far right

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is primarily driven by his survival instinct, according to an outgoing member of the House Republican Conference.

In a recent interview with CBS News, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-North Carolina) — who served as interim Speaker of the House last year after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) was stripped of the gavel — offered a frank analysis of the difficult situation McCarthy's successor is facing. McHenry said Johnson has few palatable options to pursue ahead of the next two government funding deadlines on March 1 and March 8, and that he's always aware that he could lose his job at any moment.

"It is a real and legitimate fear because the last guy was taken out," McHenry said, in reference to McCarthy.

READ MORE: 'Doesn't have a plan': Republicans openly doubting Mike Johnson's leadership capabilities

McHenry, who announced earlier this year that he isn't seeking another term in the House of Representatives, has spent the last few months since his retirement announcement blasting the faction of far-right Republicans who led the effort to remove McCarthy as speaker. Last month, he told reporters that the intransigence of some members of his caucus could come with a hefty political cost in November.

"If we keep extending the pain, creating more suffering, we will pay the price at the ballot box," McHenry said, adding that his party only controls "one-third of the negotiations" and thus won't get "100% of the wins."

"At this point, we’re sucking wind because we can’t get past the main object in the road," he added.

The North Carolina Republican offered his advice to Johnson on his fears of losing his position, saying, "You can either die as speaker and worry about them taking you out, or live every day as your last. Get something out of it. If you lead and get big things done, your reputation enhances. Your ability to get the next deal done is enhanced. The view from the public, while not perfect, is better if you take action than if you sit and dither."

READ MORE: GOP rep: Hard-line Republicans are 'sucking wind' and will 'pay the price at the ballot box'