President-elect Trump successfully rallied House Republicans on Friday to re-elect House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. — overcoming deep intraparty divisions and allaying concerns about Trump’s ability to unite the party after the spectacular collapse of a bill late last month.
That bill, in which 38 Republican defectors and threatened a partial government shutdown, raising fears that Trump’s once ironclad grip on the Republican Party could loosen – concerns that were quickly allayed Friday evening after Trump managed to secure the majority vote for a chairman of the House of Representatives whose party only just has a majority. a razor-thin majority in the House and which faced fierce opposition from members of the House Freedom Caucus.
Three Republicans originally voted against Johnson and seven other members remained silent. The Republicans’ razor-thin majority allowed Johnson only one defector from the Republican Party, and after the first round of voting it was unclear if and how the party could overcome the defectors.
MIKE JOHNSON RE-ELECTED HOUSE SPEAKER AS GOP MUTINY THREAT RESOLVES
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., left, shakes hands with President-elect Trump at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, DC, on November 13, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Ultimately, all but one holdout changed their vote, with many mentioning Trump directly as a sign of his continued influence in the party.
At least two of the Republican holdouts who reversed course and endorsed Johnson for speaker said they did so after multiple conversations with Trump.
Trump spoke by phone with both Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Keith Self, R-Texas, after they initially voted for people other than Johnson as speaker.
Self, one of two holdouts who changed his “no” vote against Johnson to a “yes” vote, told reporters Friday that he came to the decision after multiple phone calls with the newly elected president.
“This was all about how we can make the Trump agenda successful,” Self told reporters of his decision to back Johnson. “We must be strong as a Republican conference to make the Trump agenda as successful as possible. That’s what it was all about.”
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., for a procedural vote on a motion to evict against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-California, on Oct. 3, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Norman also later confirmed to reporters that he had spoken to Trump. “He just made his point about Mike being the only one who can get elected,” Norman said. He added that Trump did not change his vote, but rather a “commitment that things will change” from Johnson.
Sources told Fox News on Friday that the president-elect was in “constant communication” with House Republicans throughout the process.
The 11 Republican members of the House Freedom Caucus, who met with Johnson late last month to discuss several provisions in the government spending bill, did not mince their words. On Friday evening, members said in a letter that their decision to back Johnson was solely due to their support for the newly elected president.
In the letter, written by Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said they supported Johnson “because of our steadfast support of President Trump, and to ensure the timely certification of his electors.” ”
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“We have done this despite our sincere reservations about the chairman’s track record over the past 15 months,” the letter said. “Now Speaker Johnson must prove that he will not hesitate to implement President Trump’s bold agenda.”
Johnson, for his part, thanked Trump directly in a speech message on X.
“Thank you, President Trump! Today is a new day in America. Republicans in Congress must remain united to quickly achieve President Trump’s America First agenda,” he said. “Let’s finish it.”
