Speaker Mike Johnson’s re-election is set to take place Friday, but he may not have enough support within the Republican conference to secure another term.
Although Johnson has obtained the support of President-elect Donald Trump, several Republican lawmakers are holding out on endorsing the speaker. Republicans hold an even narrower four-seat majority this Congress, giving Johnson very little wiggle room.
‘Johnson’s issue is that his two outspoken holdouts currently are also the two people left who endorsed Trump’s opponent in the primary, so I don’t see them going back in the Johnson camp with just pressure from Trump.’
Republicans hold 219 seats while Democrats hold 215. Assuming the two parties vote in lock-step, Johnson can afford only one Republican “no” vote, which has already been claimed by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. If Johnson receives two “no” votes, his support will be tied at 217 votes in favor and 217 votes against his speakership.
“I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan,” Massie said. “We’ve seen Johnson partner with the Democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget.”
“Mike Johnson is the next Paul Ryan,” Massie said. “On January 3rd, 2025, I won’t be voting for Mike Johnson. I hope my colleague will join me because history will not give America another ‘do-over.'”
US Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and US Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) walk to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) office at the US Capitol on April 17, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images)
There is some leeway for Johnson if some Republican defectors vote “present” rather than joining forces with Democrats to strike down his speakership. As of this writing, several Republican lawmakers have signaled that they are undecided on whether they would support Johnson.
“The reason I am still undecided on the Speaker vote (as opposed to a hard no) is it’s not ALL the fault of Speaker Johnson & my desire is to give him grace & Trump room to deliver on a strong agenda for which we were elected,” Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said. “But something MUST change.”
Roy primarily cited the most recent spending fight that took place right before Christmas in which Johnson first introduced a 1,547-page funding bill. The original bill was struck down by GOP defectors as well as Trump’s political allies before the House even had the opportunity to vote for it. Eventually, a slimmer 116-page continuing resolution was introduced, narrowly averting a Christmas shutdown.
Congress’ annual Christmas tradition of jamming through a Christmas omnibus all “could have been avoided with any serious planning & communication,” Roy said, “but instead coordinated efforts were undertaken to vilify those (half NOT freedom caucus) who honored their promise to constituents not to do so.”
With Massie’s “no” vote and Roy’s potential holdout, Johnson’s speakership would be tanked on Friday. Notably, both Massie and Roy supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, signaling they are less influenced by Trump’s endorsement of Johnson than other lawmakers are.
“I don’t see how Johnson gets 218 without major commitments to conservatives at this point,” a House Republican aide told Blaze News. “Johnson’s issue is that his two outspoken holdouts currently are also the two people left who endorsed Trump’s opponent in the primary, so I don’t see them going back in the Johnson camp with just pressure from Trump. Gonna need more than that at this point.”
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaks during a press conference at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on April 12, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Although Roy and Massie have been the most outspoken about Johnson’s speakership, several other Republicans have expressed hesitancy.
“I’m going to talk to Mike and raise any concerns I have,” Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee told Blaze News. “As of right now I’m still undecided.”
Republican Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas also told Blaze News that he “has no comment on the Speaker’s race at this time.” Following the funding debacle in December, Cloud signaled that he would be open to “personnel changes” to ensure Trump’s agenda is delivered in the 119th Congress.
“The chaos of this past week was both predictable and avoidable,” Cloud said. “Weeks ago, I and others warned of these pinch points and urged leadership to involve members in crafting solutions. Unfortunately, we were ignored and locked out of the process. It wasn’t the rank-and-file members who failed this week—it was a failure of leadership that brought us here.”
“Come January, we will need to revisit how Congress operates to ensure it is structured to deliver President Trump’s MAGA agenda,” Cloud continued. “Whether that requires personnel changes, process reforms, or both will be a critical discussion we must have.”
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Mike johnson, Donald trump, Thomas massie, Chip roy, Michael cloud, Speaker of the house, House republicans, House democrats, Spending fight, Continuing resolution, Cr, Government spending, Federal deficit, National debt, Ron desantis, Republican primary, Tim burchett, Politics
