Republicans re-elect Mike Johnson as US House speaker in thrilling vote donald trump news

The United States House of Representatives has re-elected Republican Mike Johnson as its speaker, in what is being seen as a stern test of party unity ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.

But Johnson’s campaign to retain the speakership was not without obstacles Friday.

Johnson emerged victorious after an uncertain first round of voting, as some members of his party had initially withheld their votes over issues such as his role in recent bipartisan budget negotiations.

Two holdouts – Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas – changed their votes, after which he ultimately won the speakership with 218 votes out of a total of 435.

The other 215 votes, all Democratic, went to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Representative Thomas Massie, who had promised to censure Johnson, cast his vote for fellow Republican Tom Emmer.

The tight turnout underlined the narrow margin of Republican control of the House. With only 219 seats in the House, Republicans will need almost every vote to reach a majority in the party-line vote.

This could give some far-right members more influence over legislation as they exercise their influence.

Friday’s vote for Johnson also put Trump’s ability to garner Republican votes under the microscope. He called on the party to support Johnson as he prepares to push through an ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations when he takes office on January 20.

A new Congress for 2025

Voting for the presidency took place on the first day of the 119th Congress, following the November general election. After wresting the upper chamber from Democratic control, Republicans hold the majority in both the House and Senate.

As the House assembled for the first session of the new year, the race for the post of Speaker was expected to be a close one.

Many Republicans had promised to reject Johnson at the beginning of the session, especially after he led a bipartisan push to pass a temporary budget bill in December.

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

But on Friday morning, top Republicans appeared to be rallying around Johnson, including Trump himself.

“Congratulations today to Speaker Mike Johnson, an extremely capable individual who is very close to 100% support,” Trump wrote on social media.

“Mike’s victory today would be a huge victory for the Republican Party, and another endorsement of the most consequential presidential election in our 129 years!!”

While Trump had previously endorsed Johnson, he also said “the other guys are great too”.

Later, Representative Lisa McClain, another prominent Republican in the House, gave a speech nominating Johnson. He placed his leadership in the context of broader party priorities.

“We have an 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 accept the possibility of discord in the party over the vote.

“No speaker is perfect. And no one ever will. However, achieving perfection requires gradual gains and difficult decisions. “None of us will get what we want,” McClain said.

Johnson was brimming with confidence when he arrived at the Capitol on Friday, having spent the night trying to win over the radicals.

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

a tough vote

Nevertheless, after the roll-call vote took place, Johnson initially fell short of the 218 votes needed to win.

Three Republicans initially cast their votes for other candidates. Norman tapped Jim Jordan, Massey backed Emmer and Self placed forward Byron Donalds.

Several other Republicans – including Chip Roy of Texas, another Johnson critic – offered no votes at all. But when asked after the first vote whether they would support any candidate, Roy and others supported Johnson.

A group of Republicans – including several holdouts – briefly walked out of the House to negotiate with Johnson. When they returned, Norman and Self changed their votes.

In a Friday post on the social media platform He expressed fears that Johnson would not be able to implement Trump’s legislative priorities.

“President Trump’s agenda needs to become law. Speaker Johnson has already demonstrated that he is not the person who can do this, Massey wrote.

Trump’s agenda

The election for speaker came after Republicans elected John Thune as Senate majority leader, with Chuck Schumer representing the Democratic minority in the chamber.

Despite the fact that Republicans hold only 53 seats in the 100-person chamber, Thune has promised to advance Trump’s agenda. This is less than the 60-vote majority needed to overcome the filibuster, a means for minorities to block or block legislation.

Both houses of Congress will face a number of controversial pieces of legislation this coming year, setting the stage for heated battles.

Congress will need to revisit the question of funding the federal government when the current budget bill expires in March. And it will also need to consider raising the debt ceiling – the amount the federal government is able to borrow – later this year.

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

The election of the Speaker of the House, once considered a ho-hum ceremony, has become increasingly controversial in recent years. In 2023, the chamber went through 15 rounds of voting over four days before selecting Kevin McCarthy for the role.

Johnson, a low-profile conservative Christian lawyer from Louisiana, was promoted to the post of Speaker after the party ousted McCarthy midway through his term.

In view of his re-election, Johnson pledged to “reject business as usual” in the House.

“We are going to drastically cut the size and scope of government,” he said in a speech to members.