Trump backs Johnson to remain House Speaker

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President-elect Donald Trump expressed his readiness to contact Republican House members to ensure Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., maintains his position in the upcoming congressional leadership vote.

As Republican conference members prepare for Friday’s speaker vote, the situation has grown tense. Representative Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has already declared his opposition to Johnson, while several other conservative lawmakers remain undecided. Their hesitation stems from Johnson’s recent collaboration with Democrats on a spending package aimed at preventing a government shutdown, which ultimately failed to pass.

Donald Trump supports Mike Johnson for Speaker, I suspect because he trusts him and knows that prolonged infighting simply delays enacting the agenda that Republicans voted for in November. My latest for @cnn pic.twitter.com/b4KGJ7USab

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) December 30, 2024

Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve celebration, Trump displayed confidence in Johnson’s prospects. “We’re going to get a successful vote,” he stated. “He’s a good man. He’s a very wonderful person, and that’s what you need.”

The president-elect indicated his willingness to engage directly with lawmakers through phone calls if required to secure Johnson’s position, emphasizing, “He’s the one that can win right now.”

The stakes are particularly high given the narrow margin in the upcoming Congress, where Republicans will hold a 219-215 majority, with one vacant seat following former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s departure. Johnson needs 218 votes to maintain his leadership position.

Trump also addressed his Cabinet nominations, including Pete Hegseth for defense, Tulsi Gabbard for intelligence, and Kash Patel for the FBI, noting their positive progress in senatorial meetings ahead of confirmation votes.

President Trump has endorsed Speaker Johnson for re-election

He’s not perfect, but I’d say he’s better than Kevin McCarthy

Let’s get it done and put the internal beef behind us

Time to legislate and fix this country pic.twitter.com/f43NaI8JLT

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) December 30, 2024

Accompanied by Melania Trump at the gala, the president-elect shared his optimistic outlook for the future, just three weeks before his inauguration. “I think a lot of progress has been made over the last five weeks. It’s been pretty amazing,” he remarked. “When you look at what’s happened, there’s a whole light over the whole world, not just our country. There are a lot of very happy people.”

When asked about his New Year’s message to the nation, Trump offered a simple wish: “I just want everybody to be happy, healthy, and well.”