President-elect Donald Trump officially endorsed Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday, December 30, giving a major boost to the top House Republican ahead of a pivotal vote later this week.
Trump’s endorsement comes as some House conservatives remain undecided about supporting Johnson, especially following his handling of a government funding dispute earlier this month that frustrated certain members of his right-wing base.
However, the endorsement could help Johnson secure the votes needed to secure the Speaker’s gavel, especially with his razor-thin margin of support—he can afford to lose only one Republican vote.
Already, Rep. Thomas Massie has stated he will not vote for Johnson, and despite Trump’s endorsement, Massie has reiterated his position. Some sources close to Johnson’s efforts say that while the endorsement was anticipated, it may not be enough to guarantee his victory.
Johnson’s team is closely monitoring the votes of Republicans who have not yet committed, including Rep. Victoria Spartz, who is considered unpredictable.
There are also concerns about six or seven other members whose positions remain uncertain. Despite Johnson’s extensive efforts to whip votes, he still faces significant hurdles to securing the 218 votes needed to win the position.
Trump, in his endorsement, praised Johnson as a hardworking and principled man who will do what is right for the country. “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard-working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
However, Johnson’s earlier deal with Democrats on spending, followed by Trump’s demand to raise the debt ceiling, created further challenges, with some Republicans questioning Johnson’s leadership.
Massie criticized Johnson’s partnership with Democrats on issues like Ukraine and the budget, and expressed skepticism about Trump’s endorsement.
As the vote approaches, Johnson’s allies are trying to unite Republicans, but internal divisions within the House Freedom Caucus complicate efforts.
Some members are concerned about how the party will address the national debt and pass essential spending bills. With limited Republican support in the Senate, it’s likely that Johnson will still need Democratic votes to keep the government funded.
Johnson is also telling people that he is not open to reducing the number of members it would take to force a vote to oust a speaker after the GOP conference agreed to raise the threshold. As part of a conference-wide negotiation in November, Republicans decided to increase the number of members it would take to force a vote on what is known as the motion to vacate from one member to nine. A source familiar with Johnson’s thinking says that the speaker does not believe that he can reverse course on what he sees as a conference-negotiated position.
When former Speaker Kevin McCarthy went 15 rounds to get the speaker’s gavel in 2023, he eventually acquiesced to conservative demands to lower the threshold for the motion to vacate to a single member, a move that ultimately led to his ouster.
