House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) received a key endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump in his effort to remain as leader of the lower chamber.
Johnson faces a challenging vote on Friday, with a slim majority in the next Congress and a revolt among some Republicans over his handling of a government funding bill before lawmakers left for holiday break.
“Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total endorsement. MAGA!!!”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has said that he will not vote for Johnson, who cannot afford to lose more than one or two votes in the coming election. Other lawmakers, like Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), have been non committal.
Republicans will have 220 seats in the next Congress, to 215 for Democrats. That makes 218 the magic number for a majority vote, although that can vary if members vote “present” or do not vote.
There had been increasing speculation that Trump was backing away from Johnson, after the president-elect posted on social media on Sunday that he was unhappy that the issue of raising the debt limit would continue to fester in his coming term. Trump had sought to include a debt limit hike in the most recent funding deal, but that was left out of the ultimate legislation that passed Congress.
Johnson wrote on X, shortly after Trump’s endorsement, “Thank you, President Trump! I’m honored and humbled by your support, as always. Together, we will quickly deliver on your America First agenda and usher in the new golden age of America. The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let’s get to work!”
