President-elect Donald Trump doubled down on his endorsement of Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson on Friday morning, hours earlier than a high-stakes Home vote on whether or not to maintain him in energy.
“Good luck right now for Speaker Mike Johnson, a positive man of nice potential, who may be very near having 100% assist,” Trump wrote on Reality Social.
“A win for Mike right now will likely be a giant win for the Republican Celebration, and yet one more acknowledgment of our 129 12 months most consequential Presidential Election!! – A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!”
“Thanks, President Trump! Right this moment is a brand new day in America,” Johnson responded on X. “Congressional Republicans should keep united to shortly ship President Trump’s America First agenda. Let’s get it executed.”
The 52-year-old Louisiana Republican faces one of many tightest majority margins in Home historical past — with solely room for one Republican to oppose him earlier than he’ll be blocked from successful the speaker’s gavel.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has already come out in opposition to him, and several other extra, together with Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), stay publicly undecided going into the primary spherical of voting Friday at midday.
“Practically everybody is aware of from his 18 month historical past of betraying Republicans and teaming with Democrats that Johnson isn’t the best man,” Massie railed Friday morning on X.
“If he fails on the primary spherical right now, a greater Speaker could be elected in just a few hours or over the weekend.”
No different candidate has emerged to steer Home Republicans, nevertheless, and Johnson was unanimously elected to steer the convention in October 2023 after almost three weeks of infighting after the defenestration of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
McCarthy turned the primary Speaker of the Home in historical past to be eliminated by a vote of his personal get together. A number of members of GOP management in addition to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) tried to succeed him however had been unable to whip up sufficient assist.
Johnson has expressed supreme confidence about being re-elected for that very purpose.
“I believe we get it executed on the primary spherical,” he instructed Fox Enterprise. “I’m actually looking forward to that, as a result of, as we famous, we obtained to stay collectively. We’ll be working with the smallest margin in US historical past for a lot of the primary 100 days of the Congress, and maybe longer into the 12 months.”
Republicans received 220 Home seats in November, in comparison with the Democrats’ 215. However the majority shrank even additional after former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) resigned and several other Home members had been tapped to be within the Trump administration.
The speaker must win nearly all of votes forged. With there being 434 seats, the magic quantity is will likely be 218, however the margin may change if there are absences or members vote “current.”
Trump has backed Johnson wholeheartedly and the 2 met at Mar-a-Lago on New Years Day to debate “technique” on the speaker race.
The Louisiana Republican has maintained relationship with Trump all through his time in energy, steadily showing with the incoming president at rallies and different main headline-grabbing occasions.
