Trump endorses Johnson for speaker
Speaker Mike Johnson picked up a key endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump in his bid to serve another term.
"He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement," Trump wrote in a Monday social media post.
"Thank you, President Trump! I’m honored and humbled by your support, as always," Johnson replied on social media.
Trump's endorsement comes as Johnson faced some resistance from Hill conservatives ahead of Friday's vote, but the president-elect's backing could stifle other opposition. The slim GOP majority in the House for Friday’s vote means that Johnson can only afford to lose two Republican votes. Democrats are expected to universally oppose Johnson, and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has already signaled his opposition.
Johnson has been quietly calling House Republicans in an effort to quell some of the brewing dissent, according to two Republicans familiar with the conversations who were granted anonymity to discuss them.
Johnson has committed to maintaining better communication with his GOP members, after the internal GOP chaos of the federal funding meltdown infuriated House Republicans before the holidays. Some members left the Capitol for the holidays openly saying that they felt deceived by the speaker and warned that his gavel was at risk Jan. 3.
Many Republicans see Trump’s endorsement as a critical boost for Johnson.
“With tight margins and a large number of unpredictable members, nothing is a lock. But Speaker Johnson is in an exceptionally strong position,” Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) said.
Before Trump's post, conservative angst was growing, with the latest hurdle coming in the form of a new list of demands from Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) to win her vote.
Spartz said in a statement she wanted the next speaker to “COMMIT PUBLICLY” to several demands related to fiscal conservatism, including spending offsets for the expected reconciliation bills and spending audits. Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Spartz's demands.
Playbook also reported Monday morning that Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is conducting a temperature check to determine the viability of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other possible candidates if Johnson is unable to secure another term with the speaker’s gavel.
Jordan’s bid for the speakership after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster was thwarted after roughly 20 House Republicans opposed him. Various other Republican members were put forward as candidates in that vote, such as Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Tom Emmer (R-Minn.)
Many House Republicans, though, aren’t publicly discussing an effort to oust Johnson, despite general unrest across the conference.“No one is happy with Johnson, but no one wants to openly talk about alternatives,” said a House GOP aide, granted anonymity to speak candidly.
Other Hill Republicans have been cautioning against another drawn-out speaker fight, which could have ramifications for Congress’ duty of counting electoral votes on Jan. 6. Purple-district Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), said Sunday on ABC News that his colleagues were “playing with fire” by considering the possibility of a new speaker.