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Donald Trump threw his support behind Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House, giving the embattled lawmaker a crucial endorsement amid Republican infighting ahead of a vote on Friday.
The president-elect on Monday said Johnson had his “complete & total endorsement”, calling him a “good, hard working, religious man” who would “do the right thing” in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
The endorsement from Trump comes at a pivotal moment for Johnson, with Republicans readying to vote on who will lead the lower chamber of Congress on January 3.
Johnson’s fate had been in flux after some lawmakers voiced their opposition, including Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Maryland’s Andy Harris, who leads the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, have wavered in their support as well.
Republicans’ slim majority of 220 seats, compared with the 215 controlled by Democrats, will shrink to 219 once the new Congress convenes, due to the resignation of Matt Gaetz. The Florida lawmaker said he would vacate his House seat after being tapped by Trump to serve as his attorney-general, but later withdrew from consideration for that post.
The thin Republican majority means that Johnson can likely only afford to lose one vote if he is to retain his leadership post.
It is not the first time Republicans have been divided in recent weeks, with a showdown over a deal to avert a government shutdown underscoring the tough balancing act Johnson will have to navigate if re-elected. The fight also threw into doubt whether Johnson had enough support to clinch the House leadership gavel again.
Johnson’s first attempt at a bipartisan bill to keep the government funded was shot down by Trump and his allies, who criticised it for tacking on billions of dollars in additional spending and other unrelated measures. He then failed to push through a plan backed by the president-elect that would have raised the debt ceiling while also keeping the government funded, after 38 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it. A deal was eventually reached just ahead of the deadline, but without the debt ceiling provision that Trump had initially demanded.
Trump on Monday implored Republicans to “not blow this great opportunity which we have been given”, citing the sweeping victory in the election that not only brought Trump back for a second term in the White House but also gave Republicans control of both chambers of Congress.
Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, Representative Mike Lawler of New York said removing Mike Johnson would be “stupid”.
“The fact is that these folks are playing with fire,” he said. “And if they think they’re somehow going to get a more conservative Speaker, they’re kidding themselves.”
Johnson said in a post on X that he was “honored and humbled” by Trump’s support. “Together, we will quickly deliver on your America First agenda and usher in the new golden age of America.”
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