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 today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support,” Trump wrote on Fact Social.
“A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!! – A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!”
“Thank you, President Trump! Today is a new day in America,” Johnson (R-la.) responded on X. “Congressional Republicans must stay united to quickly deliver President Trump’s America First agenda. Let’s get it done.”
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 at midday Friday.
“Nearly everyone knows from his 18 month history of betraying Republicans and teaming with Democrats that Johnson isn’t the right guy,” Massie railed Friday morning on X.
“If he fails on the first round today, a better Speaker can be elected in a few hours or over the weekend.”
No various candidate has emerged to steer Home Republicans, nonetheless, 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 grew to become 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 have been unable to whip up sufficient assist.
Johnson has expressed supreme confidence about being re-elected for that very purpose.
“I think we get it done on the first round,” he instructed Fox Enterprise. “I’m certainly hopeful for that, because, as we noted, we got to stick together. We’ll be operating with the smallest margin in US history for much of the first 100 days of the Congress, and perhaps longer into the year.”
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 have been tapped to be within the Trump administration.
The speaker must win nearly all of votes solid. With there being 434 seats, the magic quantity will likely be 218, however the margin may change if there are absences or members vote “present.”
Trump has backed Johnson wholeheartedly and the 2 met at Mar-a-Lago on New 12 months’s Day to debate “strategy” on the speaker race.
The Louisiana Republican has maintained a superb relationship with Trump all through his time in energy, often showing with the incoming president at rallies and different main headline-grabbing occasions.
