Trump endorses House Speaker Mike Johnson amid Republican infighting

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday threw his help behind Speaker Mike Johnson amid a struggle over the Home gavel that may culminate in a vote on the finish of the week.

“Speaker Mike Johnson is an efficient, onerous working, non secular man,” Trump wrote on the finish of a prolonged social media publish. “He’ll do the proper factor, and we’ll proceed to WIN. Mike has my Full & Complete Endorsement.”

The endorsement is an early win for Johnson, whose speakership hangs within the stability. An endorsement from Trump may persuade hardliners to fall in with Johnson previous to the certification of the 2024 election on Jan. 6.

With Republicans holding one of many smallest Home majorities in historical past, each single vote counts. If all members are current and voting, Johnson can solely afford to lose two members of his convention to retain his gavel when the Home returns to session on Friday.

However with the latest resignation of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the full variety of the Home will likely be 434 members with 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats. This implies, Johnson’s can afford just one defection and a second would block him from getting the gavel. No less than one Republican has already stated he will not help Johnson and others are on the fence.

The speaker vote comes after a number of Home Republicans grew annoyed with Johnson through the ultimate days of the 118th Congress, which noticed a bitter struggle over spending that almost triggered a authorities shutdown earlier than Christmas.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who was tapped by Trump to run the brand new “Division of Authorities Effectivity,” began the infighting when he trashed the bipartisan funding invoice in a publish on X because the Home ready to vote on the measure. Trump later within the day issued a press release opposing the invoice and saying he needed the funding invoice to both elevate or get rid of the nation’s debt ceiling earlier than his inauguration on Jan. 20, a requirement that Musk endorsed.

The bipartisan invoice finally failed. A invoice that included Trump’s debt ceiling calls for additionally failed. A 3rd try that included $100 billion for catastrophe support, $30 billion for farmers and a one-year extension of the farm invoice, provisions that had been within the authentic measure, handed 38 minutes previous the deadline on Dec. 21.

Musk on Monday additionally backed Johnson, writing on X, “I really feel the identical method! You may have my full help,” in response to Johnson thanking Trump for his endorsement.

Notably, neither Trump or Musk’s endorsements talked about the debt ceiling, however their backing was welcome information for Johnson.

In his publish, Trump additionally boasted about his profitable 2024 White Home run, praising Republicans for working a “legendary” marketing campaign whereas railing towards President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

He urged Republicans to “not blow” a possibility for a “reduction” from the outgoing administration — calling for Republicans to help Johnson.

However the announcement from the president-elect did not dissuade no less than considered one of Johnson’s opponents.

“I respect and help President Trump, however his endorsement of Mike Johnson goes to work out about in addition to his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan,” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., wrote on X. “We’ve seen Johnson companion with the democrats to ship cash to Ukraine, authorize spying on People, and blow the finances.”

Massie beforehand advised ABC Information he wouldn’t be voting for Johnson as speaker.

Indiana Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz stated she needs “assurances” that Johnson can ship Trump’s agenda earlier than she would help him.

“President Trump will have the ability to save America provided that we now have a speaker with braveness, imaginative and prescient and a plan – additionally public dedication to the American individuals how he’ll assist ship President Trump’s agenda to empty the swamp,” Spartz wrote on X after Trump’s endorsement.

She earlier urged to Fox Information that if Johnson just isn’t keen to ship on the president-elect’s agenda, he’s unfit of being elected speaker once more.

“If he needs to be a speaker, he must commit publicly how he will be fulfilling his constitutional duties,” Spartz stated on “Fox & Buddies,” including, “I am not asking him to transcend what he has to do by Structure.”

Spartz additionally stated a few of her GOP colleagues have an interest within the speaker’s gavel, however she wouldn’t reveal which members as a result of they wouldn’t publicly oppose Johnson.