


WASHINGTON>> Republican Mike Johnson narrowly won reelection Friday to the House speakership on a first ballot, overcoming hard-right GOP holdouts after a tense standoff and buoyed by a nod of support from President-elect Donald Trump.
The uneasy scene brought an ominous start to the first day of the new Congress. A small collection of hardline Republicans convened in the back of the House chamber, one by one declining to vote or choosing another lawmaker. Johnson’s face turned grim, acknowledging fresh turmoil and signaling trouble ahead for him as Trump returns to the White House and unified GOP control of Washington.
In the end, however, Johnson was able to flip two remaining holdouts who switched to support him, and Trump called one of the dissenting Republican lawmakers from the golf course. The final tally was 218-215.
Johnson, visibly relieved, vowed to “reject business as usual” in his first speech with the gavel. “We’re going to drastically cut back the size and scope of government,” he promised.
Johnson’s weak grip on the gavel has threatened not only his own survival but Trump’s ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations as Republicans sweep to power. The stark vote tally laid bare the challenges he faces. Even his backing from Trump himself, usually a surer bet for Republicans, was no guarantee of Johnson’s ability to stay in power.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jefferies attempted to push past the Republican tumult of the past two years, saying it was time to come together, put party politics aside “to get things done” for Americans.
What was once a ceremonial day with newly elected lawmakers arriving to be sworn into office has evolved into a high-stakes vote for the office of House speaker.
While the Senate is able to convene on its own and has elected party leaders — Sen. John Thune as the Republican majority leader, who vowed in his first speech to keep the legislative filibuster in place, and Sen. Chuck Schumer for the Democratic minority — the House must first elect its speaker, a role required by the Constitution, second in the line of succession to the president.
With opposition from his own GOP colleagues, Johnson arrived at the Capitol with outward confidence after working into the night to sway dissenters. A flop by Johnson could have thrown Monday’s congressional certification of Trump’s 2024 election victory into turmoil without a House speaker.
Trump had endorsed Johnson, and was on the phone during the vote to secure the outcome. “Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary,” Trump posted on social media after the vote.
Congress has been here before, when it took Republicans nearly a week and 15 rounds of voting to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker in 2023, a spectacle otherwise unseen in modern times. McCarthy was then dumped by his party, a historic first.
The stakes were higher this year as Trump prepares to return to the White House with the House and Senate in GOP control and promising to deliver big on a 100-day agenda.
Johnson worked diligently to prevent losing his post, up to the final moments, spending New Year’s Day at Mar-a-Lago as he positioned himself alongside Trump. The speaker often portrays himself as the “quarterback” who will be executing the political plays called by the “coach,” the president-elect.
During the dramatic roll call, the strain on Johnson was clear. More than a half-dozen Republicans refused to vote for him, many from the conservative Freedom Caucus simply staying silent as their names were called.
The chamber came to a standstill. Then a few of those Republican holdouts announced their support. But Johnson was still falling short. One hard “no” was Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voted for a different GOP leader, and had made it clear he would not switch.
But there were two others. Johnson’s allies huddled with Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Rep. Keith Self of Texas, some taking calls and passing them their phones. Norman said later that Trump told him that Johnson was the only leader likable enough to get the job.
Johnson led the two GOP lawmakers off the chamber floor. A short time later, Johnson reentered upbeat, and Norman and Self cast their votes for him.
Eventually, Johnson, and all the House lawmakers, were sworn into office.