President-elect Trump’s influence over the House Republican majority will face another major test on Friday when Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) seeks re-election as speaker.
Despite President Trump’s endorsement of Johnson on Monday: “He’s going to do the right thing and we’re going to go on and win,” the speaker remains in a precarious position ahead of a vote on the opening day of the new Congress.
Several House Republicans have continued to withhold support for the Louisiana Republican despite the president-elect’s stamp of approval.
One Republican, Rep. Thomas Marsh of Ky., pledged to vote for a candidate other than Johnson, citing anger over the way Johnson has handled government funding, Ukraine aid and other issues. And Massie signaled in a post on the social platform X on Monday that Trump’s endorsement would not change his mind.
“I respect and support President Trump. But his support of Mike Johnson would be just as effective as his support of Speaker Paul Ryan. We saw Johnson work with Democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize surveillance of Americans, and blow the budget,” Massie said.
Johnson can afford just one Republican defection in the Jan. 3 presidential election, assuming all lawmakers attend and vote for the candidate. 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.
Several other Republicans do not explicitly oppose Johnson but have not said they will vote for him in light of Trump’s statements.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) said Monday on Fox News that he still wants to talk to Johnson because “there are some issues that need to be addressed, especially as we deal with the budget.” Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) posted to
“We haven’t decided what leadership should look like in the 119th Congress,” Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said after the House passed the controversial stopgap funding bill. According to a spokesperson, he may still speak after Trump’s endorsement.
Johnson is calling and reaching out to people who have expressed skepticism about his chances as speaker to drum up support, according to people familiar with his activities.
A Trump spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment on why Trump announced his support for Johnson on Monday or whether he would reach out to his Republican supporters personally. This is what House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said. He appeared on Fox Business Sunday and urged Trump to do so.
Johnson’s handling of a shaky year-end short-term financing package has raised skepticism about his leadership not only from members but also from Trump himself.
Two sources close to Mr. Trump said the president-elect was frustrated with how the recent government funding fight, which ended without raising the debt limit that Mr. Trump had demanded, had played out, leading to discussions about whether to support Mr. Johnson at all.
But it also showed the limits of Trump’s influence on Republican lawmakers.
President Trump made a last-minute call for Republicans to raise the debt limit as part of the bill, but many House Republicans opposed raising the debt limit without implementing spending cuts. Thirty-eight House Republicans voted against the stopgap measure, which included raising the debt limit.
But the Republican Party’s overwhelming desire to expedite Trump’s legislative agenda could be very powerful in helping Johnson retain the gavel.
The same sources who said Trump was dissatisfied with Johnson noted that there is no clear alternative to the current speaker and argued that a messy fight over the gavel would delay the certification of his victory on January 6 and potentially undermine Trump’s legislative agenda. . The first few weeks of his presidency.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who was Trump’s first attorney general nominee to withdraw from consideration amid allegations of misconduct, posted to
“If the Trump certification had not been balanced, we would not have been able to demand concessions from McCarthy two years ago. Now it is,” Gaetz posted.
With Trump’s support, other prominent conservatives are expected to rally to Johnson’s side. Elon Musk, who has proven to be an influential figure on Capitol Hill in recent weeks, posted on X on Monday that Johnson has “full support.”
Matthew Boyle, Washington bureau chief for the right-wing Breitbart News Network, who has advocated for Johnson’s replacement in recent weeks, compared Trump’s support for Johnson to his nomination for a Cabinet position.
“Trump’s endorsement of Speaker Mike Johnson should be treated like all other nominations and appointments. He deserves his choice. Plain and simple, whether you agree or not, it’s Trump’s decision. He is the president. He triumphed despite the odds.” Boyle posted on “So everyone on the right should do everything they can to help Trump. “I disagree with Johnson on many things, but the president said this.”
Still, Trump’s past endorsements for congressional elections have not always been decisive or able to sway lawmakers not closely aligned with him.
Trump publicly supported former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) even before Republicans took control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections, but McCarthy struggled to secure the votes he needed among Republican lawmakers. It took 12 more votes for the California Republican to secure the gavel, even after Trump reiterated his support for McCarthy after three failed votes.
The president-elect entered the Republican Party chairmanship race in October 2023 after McCarthy was ousted, but the results were mixed. He initially supported his ally, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), but failed to garner enough support from moderate lawmakers who opposed his candidacy. As the Republican Party rallied around him to replace McCarthy, Trump eventually supported Johnson.
