Republicans re-elect Mike Johnson as speaker of the US House of Representatives in a nail-biting vote | Donald Trump News

The U.S. House of Representatives re-elected Republican Mike Johnson as speaker, in a vote seen as a bitter test of party unity ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's second term in the White House.

But Johnson's campaign to keep the president's gavel did not go smoothly Friday.

Johnson emerged victorious after an uncertain first round of voting, with some in his party initially withholding their votes on issues such as his role in recent bipartisan budget negotiations.

He ultimately won the presidency with 218 votes out of a total of 435, after two of the holdouts, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas, changed their votes.

Another 215 votes, all Democratic, went to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Rep. Thomas Massie, who had pledged to reject Johnson, voted for fellow Republican Tom Emmer.

The close vote underscored the narrow margin of control Republicans have over the chamber. With just 219 seats in the House, Republicans will need almost every vote they have to reach a majority in a party-line vote.

This could give some far-right members greater influence over legislation as they exert their influence.

Friday's vote for Johnson also put a microscope on Trump's ability to marshal Republican votes. He had called on the party to support Johnson, as he prepares to pursue an ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass evictions when he takes office on January 20.

A new Congress for 2025

The vote for president took place on the first day of the 119th Congress, following the November general election. The Republicans hold the majority in the House and the Senate, after removing the Upper House from Democratic control.

The presidential race was shaping up to be a tough one as the House convened for its first session of the new year.

Several Republicans had pledged before the session to reject Johnson, particularly after he led a bipartisan campaign to pass a temporary budget bill in December.

Some objected to the lack of spending cuts. Others felt frustrated that the bill did not address the federal borrowing limit, as President-elect Trump had demanded.

But on Friday morning, leading Republicans appeared to rally around Johnson, including Trump himself.

Good luck today to President Mike Johnson, a great and capable man, who is very close to 100% support, Trump wrote on social media.

A victory for Mike today will be a great victory for the Republican Party, and yet another recognition of our most important presidential election in 129 years!!

Although Trump had previously supported Johnson, he also said the others were also very good.

Later, on the House floor, Rep. Lisa McClain, another prominent Republican, gave a speech to nominate Johnson. She placed her leadership in the context of the party's broader priorities.

We have the opportunity to put America first again. We have an opportunity to do something about crime. We have an opportunity to do something about the border. And we have an opportunity to take care of our veterans, McClain said.

She briefly appeared to acknowledge the possibility of interparty discord over the vote.

No speaker is perfect. And no one ever will be. However, achieving perfection requires incremental gains and difficult decisions along the way. None of us are going to get exactly what we want, McClain said.

Johnson himself exuded an air of confidence when he arrived at the Capitol on Friday, after spending the night seeking to win over hard-line holdouts.

We don't have time for drama, Johnson said as he entered the Capitol on Friday.

A close vote

Nonetheless, after the roll-call vote, Johnson initially fell short of the 218 votes needed for victory.

Three Republicans initially voted for other candidates. Norman tapped Jim Jordan, Massie backed Emmer, and Self suggested Byron Donalds.

Several other Republicans, including Chip Roy of Texas, another Johnson critic, offered no votes. But when asked after the first vote if they would support a candidate, Roy and others backed Johnson.

A group of Republicans, including several holdouts, briefly left the House with Johnson to negotiate. Upon their return, Norman and Self changed their votes.

In a post on social media platform X on Friday, Massie explained why he would remain holdout, voting no to Johnson's leadership. He expressed concern that Johnson would not be able to implement Trump's legislative priorities.

President Trump's agenda must become law. President Johnson has already demonstrated that he is not the man who can make it happen, Massie wrote.

Members recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the House meeting on January 3, 2025 [Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo]
Trump's agenda

The presidential election comes after Republicans also elected John Thune as Senate majority leader, with Chuck Schumer representing the Democratic minority in the chamber.

Thune has pledged to guide Trump's agenda, despite the fact that Republicans hold only 53 seats in the 100-person House. That falls far short of the 60-vote supermajority needed to overcome the filibuster, a way for the minority to block or defeat legislation.

Both houses of Congress will face several controversial pieces of legislation in the coming year, setting the stage for heated battles.

Congress will need to revisit the issue of funding the federal government when the current budget bill expires in March. And consideration will also need to be given to raising the debt ceiling by the amount the federal government can borrow later this year.

The federal government already has more than $36 trillion in debt, and many congressional Republicans are expected to demand significant spending cuts in the future.

The election of a House speaker, once considered a ho-hum ceremony, has become increasingly controversial in recent years. In 2023, the chamber conducted 15 rounds of voting over four days before electing Kevin McCarthy to the position.

Johnson, a low-key conservative Christian lawyer from Louisiana, was elevated to speaker after the party ousted McCarthy midway through his term.

Following his re-election, Johnson pledged to reject the status quo in the House.

We will significantly reduce the size and scope of government, he said in a speech to MPs.

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