Republican Mike Johnson was reelected on Friday as Speaker of the House in a close first vote, defeating hardline Republicans in a tense showdown and backed by a show of support from President-elect Donald Trump.
Johnson worked tirelessly all night to persuade the dissenters. A failure could have plunged the certification of Congress into chaos, scheduled for Monday, of Trump's electoral victory in 2024.
Trump was on the phone during the vote to ensure the result. "Mike will be a great Speaker, and our country will benefit," the president-elect posted on social media after the vote.
How was the voting process that elected Mike Johnson?
The day did not start well on the first day of the new United States Congress. A small group of hardline Republicans gathered in the back of the Lower House, and one by one they refused to vote or chose another legislator. Johnson's face turned grim as he recognized that there was a new turmoil and an indication of future problems for him as Trump returns to the White House with Republicans in control of Washington.
However, in the end Johnson managed to convince two dissenters with the help of Trump, who called them from the golf course. The final count was 218-215.
Johnson, visibly relieved, promised to “reject continuing as before” in his first speech with the gavel. “We are going to drastically reduce the size and scope of the government,” he promised.
Johnson's weak control over the deck has not only threatened his own survival but also Trump's ambitious agenda of tax cuts and massive deportations as Republicans rise to power in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The narrow margin in the vote difference highlighted the challenges he faces. Even the endorsement of the president-elect himself does not guarantee Johnson's ability to remain in the position of Speaker of the House.
The Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, tried to move past the Republican turmoil of the last two years, saying it was time to come together and set aside partisan politics "to get things done" for Americans.
The Senate leaders had already been defined for some time and there were no complications: John Thune will be the leader of the Republican majority and Chuck Schumer of the Democrats, who will be the minority this time.