The power of President-elect Trump’s affect over the razor-thin Home Republican majority will get one other main check Friday, when Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) goals to be reelected as Speaker.
Even with Trump’s endorsement of Johnson on Monday — “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN,” Trump mentioned of Johnson — the Speaker stays in a precarious place forward of the vote on the opening day of the brand new Congress.
A number of Home Republicans have continued to withhold assist for the Louisiana Republican regardless of the stamp of approval from the president-elect.
One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.), has pledged to vote for a candidate aside from Johnson, citing anger with how the Speaker dealt with authorities funding, Ukraine assist and different points. And Massie signaled in a put up on the social platform X on Monday that Trump’s endorsement isn’t altering his thoughts.
“I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan. We’ve seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget,” Massie mentioned.
Johnson can solely afford one Republican defection within the Jan. 3 Speaker election, assuming all members are current and voting for a candidate. The Home’s incoming 215 Democrats are all anticipated to vote for Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and Republicans are anticipated to have 219 members in attendance that day.
A number of different Republicans should not explicitly opposing Johnson however stopping in need of saying they’ll vote for him in mild of the assertion from Trump.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) mentioned Monday on Fox Information that he nonetheless wished to talk with Johnson, “because there are some issues I think that need to be worked out, specifically dealing with the budget issues.” Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) posted on X that though she understands why Trump is endorsing Johnson, “we still need to get assurances that @SpeakerJohnson won’t sell us out to the swamp.”
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), the chair of the Home Freedom Caucus who mentioned after the Home handed a controversial stopgap funding invoice that he was “undecided on what leadership should look like in the 119th Congress,” remained undecided on the Speakership even after Trump’s endorsement, in response to a spokesperson.
As he goals to shore up assist, Johnson has been making calls and reaching out to those that have expressed skepticism about his Speakership, in response to a supply accustomed to his actions.
A spokesperson for Trump didn’t reply to requests for remark about why Trump introduced his assist for Johnson on Monday, or if he would personally attain out to GOP holdouts — one thing that Home Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) had urged Trump to do throughout a Sunday Fox Enterprise look.
Johnson’s dealing with of a bumpy end-of-year, short-term funding bundle not solely fueled skepticism of his management from members, however from Trump himself.
Two sources near Trump’s orbit mentioned the president-elect was annoyed by how the latest authorities funding battle, which concluded with no debt ceiling enhance that Trump demanded, performed out, and it led to discussions about whether or not he would again Johnson in any respect.
However it additionally confirmed the bounds of Trump’s affect over congressional Republicans.
Trump made a last-minute demand for Republicans to lift the debt ceiling as a part of the invoice, however plenty of Home Republicans are against elevating the debt ceiling with out additionally implementing spending cuts. Thirty-eight Home Republicans voted towards a model of the stopgap that included a debt restrict hike.
However the overwhelming Republican need to shortly get to work on Trump’s legislative agenda might be a really highly effective drive in serving to Johnson maintain maintain of the gavel.
The identical sources who mentioned Trump was annoyed with Johnson famous there was no clear different to the present Speaker, they usually argued a messy struggle over the gavel would threaten to delay the Jan. 6 certification of his victory and probably undermine Trump’s legislative agenda within the early weeks of his presidency.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Trump’s first choose for lawyer common who withdrew from consideration amid misconduct allegations, posted on X that Trump‘s endorsement of Johnson was “‘art of the deal’ level practicality.”
“We could never have held up McCarthy two years ago for concessions if a Trump certification hung in the balance. Now, it does,” Gaetz posted.
With Trump’s endorsement, different outstanding conservatives are anticipated to rally to Johnson’s facet. Elon Musk, who has confirmed to be an influential determine on Capitol Hill in latest weeks, posted Monday on X that Johnson has his “full support.”
Matthew Boyle, the linked Washington bureau chief for the right-wing Breitbart Information Community who had advocated for changing Johnson in latest weeks, in contrast Trump’s assist for Johnson to his nominations for Cupboard positions.
“Trump’s endorsement of Mike Johnson for Speaker should be treated like all other nominations and appointments. He deserves to have his choice. Plain and simple, agree or disagree, it’s Trump’s decision. He’s the president. He won in the face of adversity,” Boyle posted on X. “So everyone on the right should do everything they can to help Trump. I have my disagreements with Johnson on a number of fronts, but the president has spoken.”
Nonetheless, Trump’s previous endorsements in fraught Speaker races haven’t at all times been decisive or managed to sway members who should not carefully aligned with him.
Trump publicly backed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) even earlier than Republicans received management of the Home within the 2022 midterms, however McCarthy struggled to safe the votes wanted amongst GOP members. Even after Trump reiterated his assist for McCarthy after three failed votes, it took 12 extra rounds of voting earlier than the California Republican secured the gavel.
The president-elect waded into the GOP’s Speaker battle in October 2023 after McCarthy was ousted, with combined outcomes. He initially endorsed his ally, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), however Jordan couldn’t garner sufficient assist from extra average members who opposed his candidacy. Trump finally backed Johnson as Republicans rallied round him to exchange McCarthy.
