President-elect Trump firmly believes that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will be reappointed.
“No one else can get the vote,” he told reporters Tuesday.
On Monday, Trump offered his full and complete endorsement to Johnson, just days ahead of the House vote on Friday to choose a new speaker.
His comments echo those of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who earlier in the day questioned Republicans who opposed Johnson about X.
“I don’t understand what CONTRARIAN House Republicans think they will gain by opposing Speaker Mike Johnson,” Gingrich wrote on Tuesday.
“They don’t have anyone who can get more votes. They risk undoing President Trump’s election victory on January 6th. “They are virtually allies of the Democratic Party,” he added.
Johnson has faced anger from Republican lawmakers over how he has handled a variety of issues, including his year-end funding package to keep the government open. Some House Republicans, including Rep. Thomas Massey (R-Ky.), are questioning his ability to lead the party amid a triple standoff between the Senate and the White House.
Assuming all lawmakers attend and vote for a candidate, Johnson can afford just one Republican defection in Friday’s presidential election. All 215 newly elected Democrats in the House are expected to vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), while 219 Republicans are expected to attend that day.
