WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Mike Johnson won reelection to the House speakership on a first ballot Friday, pushing past GOP hard-right holdouts and buoyed with a nod of support from President-elect Donald Trump.
A collection of hardline Republicans convened in the back of the House chamber during a tense roll call on the first day of the new Congress, one by one declining to vote or choosing another lawmaker. The standoff sparked fresh turmoil signaling trouble ahead under unified GOP control of Washington.
In the end, however, Johnson was able to flip two remaining holdouts who switched to support him, drawing applause from Republicans.
As the most recent speaker, Johnson’s weak grip on the gavel threatens not only his own survival but President-elect Trump’s ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations as Republicans sweep to power.
Newly-elected House lawmakers started casting votes as Johnson’s name was put forward for nomination by the GOP Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich.
“No speaker’s perfect,” she said. But the goal is to make progress toward shared priorities for the country, she said. “None of us will get exactly what we want.”
Democrats put forward their own leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, as the only one with a track record of compromise and achievement in the face of “chaos and dysfunction” under the GOP majority.
“House Democrats are united behind the most powerful legislative leader in this chamber,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., of Jeffries, recounting the many times their votes bailed out Johnson to ensure passage of important legislation.
With opposition from his own GOP colleagues, Johnson arrived with outward confidence after working into the night to sway hardline holdouts. A flop by Johnson could throw Monday’s congressional certification of Trump’s 2024 election victory into turmoil without a House speaker. Even backing from Trump himself, usually a sure bet for Republicans, was no guarantee Johnson will stay in power.
“We don’t have time for drama,” Johnson said as he walked into the Capitol.
The Louisiana Republican received a renewed nod of support from Trump. “A win
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