Republican Mike Johnson Re-Elected House Speaker With Trump's Support

Washington: Republican Mike Johnson was re-elected as Speaker of the House on the first ballot Friday, overcoming opposition from some hard-right Republicans and gaining support from President-elect Donald Trump .

On the first day of the new Congress , a group of conservative Republicans gathered in the back of the House chamber during a tense vote. Some members either didn’t vote or chose another lawmaker, creating some tension and signalling that there could be trouble ahead for the GOP's control of Washington.

However, Johnson was able to convince two Republicans who were hesitant to back him, leading to applause from the party. While Johnson's victory was significant, his leadership remains fragile. His ability to hold onto the Speaker’s position could impact not only his own future but also President-elect Trump’s plans, including tax cuts and deportations as the Republicans take charge in Washington.

Republican Representative Lisa McClain Nominated Johnson

The vote came after Johnson was nominated by Republican Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan.

“No speaker's perfect,” she said. But the goal is to make progress toward shared priorities for the country, she said. “None of us will get exactly what we want.” Democrats put forward their own leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, as the only one with a track record of compromise and achievement in the face of “chaos and dysfunction” under the GOP majority.

“House Democrats are united behind the most powerful legislative leader in this chamber,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., of Jeffries, recounting the many times their votes bailed out Johnson to ensure passage of important legislation.

With opposition from his own GOP colleagues, Johnson arrived with outward confidence after working into the night to sway hardline holdouts. A flop by Johnson could throw Monday's congressional certification of Trump's 2024 election victory into turmoil without a House speaker. Even backing from Trump himself, usually a sure bet for Republicans, was no guarantee Johnson would stay in power.

"We don't have time for drama,” Johnson said as he walked into the Capitol.

The Louisiana Republican received a renewed nod of support from Trump. “A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party,” Trump posted on social media.

What was once a ceremonial day with newly elected lawmakers arriving to be sworn into office, often with family, friends and children in tow, has evolved into a high-stakes vote for the office of House speaker, among the most powerful elected positions in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris was swearing in the senators.

While the Senate is able to convene on its own and has already elected party leaders — Senator John Thune as the Republican majority leader and Sen. Chuck Schumer for the Democratic minority — the House must first elect its speaker, a role required by the Constitution, second in the line of succession to the president.

Congress has been here before when it took Republicans nearly a week and 15 rounds of voting to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker in 2023, a spectacle unseen in modern times. McCarthy was then dumped by his party, a historic first, but he was also part of a long list of GOP speakers chased to early exits.

The stakes are higher this year as Trump prepares to return to the White House with the House and Senate in GOP control and promising to deliver big on a 100-day agenda.

Johnson has been working diligently to prevent defeat, spending New Year's Day at Mar-a-Lago as he positions himself alongside Trump. The speaker often portrays himself as the “quarterback” who will be executing the political plays called by the “coach,” the president-elect.

But Johnson also warned that without a House speaker, there would be a "constitutional crisis" heading into Jan. 6, when Congress by law is required to count the electoral votes for president, weeks before Trump is set to be inaugurated on January 20.

“We don't have any time to waste, and I think that everybody recognizes that,” he said.

Johnson commands one of the slimmest majorities in modern times, having lost seats in the November election. With the sudden resignation of Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., the tally dropped to 219-215. That leaves Johnson relying on almost every Republican for support in the face of Democratic opposition, though the typical 218 majority of 435 members needed could shift with absences and others voting only "present." Heading into Friday he did not have the full support needed.

Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy was among the most notable holdouts, an unflinching member of the Freedom Caucus who lashed into Republican leadership's handling of the year-end spending bill for failing to cut spending and adhere to House rules.