U.S. President-elect Donald Trump meets with House Republican members and shakes hands with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) on November 13, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington, U.S.
brian snyder reuter
The House began voting on Friday to choose the next speaker after outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson was nominated by the Republican Party and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic nominee, was nominated.
Early Friday morning, President-elect Donald Trump again called on Republican lawmakers to elect Johnson as speaker.
Trump’s support on social media comes as Johnson (whose current term as speaker expires at 11 a.m. ET) faces a potentially very close race in the House, where Republicans hold a razor-thin majority. It started with being there.
All 434 members of the House of Representatives will be present to vote, meaning nearly every Republican would need to vote for Johnson to become speaker.
“I wish Speaker of the House Mike Johnson the best of luck today. He is an outstanding and capable man, and his approval rating is nearing 100%,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“Mike’s victory today will be a huge victory for the Republican Party and will once again confirm the most important presidential election in 129 years!!” Trump wrote. “Yes, that’s a big affirmation. Maga!”
Johnson, who represents a district in Louisiana, will need a majority of House members to become speaker of the 119th Congress.
Republicans gained 219 seats in the new Congress. Democrats hold 215 seats.
The close margin means that if all members of the House were present and all Democrats voted for Jeffries, a New Yorker, Mr. Johnson would need at least 218 votes from Republicans to be elected speaker.
If two or more Republicans decide to vote for someone else, Mr. Johnson’s overall approval rating would drop below 218, and Mr. Johnson would not be elected speaker in that vote.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky has already said he has no intention of supporting Johnson, and there is no leeway if Massie follows through on his promise.
Mr Johnson was first elected to the House of Commons on October 25, 2023, three weeks after then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted from the slot after a small number of Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for his removal from office.
Mr. Johnson was the fourth candidate considered to replace Mr. McCarthy.
McCarthy had been chairman for just nine months when he was fired. After four days of voting and 15 votes, he was first elected as chair in January 2023.
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