Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was reelected as the Speaker as the 119th Congress convened Friday — in a crucial vote in which he did not have the majority in the first round. Before the second round of voting was set to begin, two GOP holdouts — Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Keith Self (R-Texas) — changed their votes in a surprising turn of events.
Donald Trump spoke to the two GOP holdouts before they flipped their votes and handed Mike Johnson the speakership in a stunning twist, Punchbowl News reported.
With 434 lawmakers in attendance, the threshold for Johnson to be elected Speaker of the House was 218.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was the sole no vote.
“Congratulations to Speaker Mike Johnson for receiving an unprecedented Vote of Confidence in Congress. Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary,” Donald Trump congratulated after the election.
“The People of America have waited four years for Common Sense, Strength, and Leadership. They’ll get it now, and America will be greater than ever before!”
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 for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party,” Trump earlier said.
