In his effort to retain the gavel, President-elect Donald Trump said on social media that he fully and completely supports Louisiana Republican Speaker Mike Johnson.
Mike, the speaker John Son is a decent, diligent, and devout man. Trump stated on Truth Social Monday that “we will continue to WIN and he will do the right thing.”
With promises for a comprehensive reform agenda centered on immigration and other issues, Trump, who will take office for a second term on January 20, urged his party to remain together as he moves into 2025. He wrote, “Let’s not waste this fantastic opportunity that we have been given.”
In response, Johnson pledged to expeditiously implement the agenda of the new president. When the new Congress convenes on Friday, the speaker election will take place. A few days later, on January 6, the new Congress is scheduled to certify Trump’s victory in the 2024 election.
Trump’s remarks come after he recently warned that Johnson would lose members of his party in Friday’s speaker election. Given Republicans’ narrow House majority, he can only afford to lose a few Republican votes. With 220 seats, Republicans secured a razor-thin House majority in November. The number of House Republicans now stands at 219 after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned his position to seek a Cabinet appointment, which he later withdrew.
Last Monday, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, declared that he would not back Johnson’s reelection. In a message to X, Massie stated, “I’m not convinced by the haste and elect him so we can certify the election on J6 argument.” The mandate that people granted to Trump and Congress in November will not be accomplished by a weak legislative branch that is subject to the swamp.
Some Republican senators’ support for Johnson seemed to wane when he attempted to pass a bipartisan end-of-year spending agreement that was shattered by billionaire Elon Musk, a key Trump ally. Although the actual deadline to extend the nation’s borrowing limit is unlikely to occur until mid-next year, Republicans first voted against the proposal and then rejected a trimmed-down accord that contained Trump’s demand to raise the debt ceiling.
In the end, Johnson passed an agreement that enraged some conservatives since it had no spending cuts and did not include Trump’s proposal to raise the debt ceiling.
The president-elect’s most recent remarks come after Republican congressman Mike Lawler expressed support for Johnson on Sunday, claiming that Johnson inherited these conditions from previous House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted by a group of eight Republicans.
In an interview with ABC News, Lawler, R-N.Y., stated that Johnson inherited a mess and that the removal of McCarthy will be remembered as the most foolish political move in my life.
Therefore, it would be equally foolish to remove Mike Johnson, Lawler stated on “This Week.” In actuality, these people are playing with fire, and they are deluding themselves if they believe they will somehow obtain a more conservative speaker.
According to GOP sources, Trump had previously told NBC News that he supported Johnson in a November meeting with House Republicans. Shortly after the president-elect criticized the bipartisan government financing agreement the speaker announced earlier this month, Trump seemed to change his mind about supporting Johnson.
When asked on December 19 if he still believed in Johnson, Trump said, “We’ll see.”
Trump’s remarks on Monday might quell whispers in the House that Republicans ought to look for someone to replace Johnson.
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