President-elect Trump successfully rallied House Republicans on Friday to re-elect House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. — overcoming deep divisions within the party and allaying concerns about Trump’s ability to unify the party after the spectacular collapse of a government spending bill late last month.
That bill, which he saw on the 38th Republican defections and threatened a partial government shutdown, fueling fears that Trump’s once-tight grip on the Republican Party could loosen — concerns that were quickly dispelled Friday night after Trump managed to secure a majority of votes for the House Speaker, whose party holds a razor-thin majority in House and which faced fierce opposition from members of the Freedom Caucus in the House.
Three Republicans initially voted against Johnson, and seven other members stayed silent. The near-thin Republican majority allowed Johnson only one GOP defector, and after the first round of voting it was unclear whether or how the party could overcome the odds.
MIKE JOHNSON RE-ELECTED AS HOUSE SPEAKER AS GOP THREAT OF REBELLION DISAPPEARS
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., left, shakes hands with President-elect Trump at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, DC on November 13, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
In the end, all but one dropped out and changed their vote, with many directly crediting Trump with the recognition as a sign of his continued influence in the party.
At least two Republican candidates who reversed course and endorsed Johnson for speaker said they did so after multiple conversations with Trump.
Trump spoke by phone with both Reps. Ralph Norman, R-Texas, and Keith Self, R-Texas, after they initially voted for people other than Johnson for speaker.
Self, one of two opponents who changed his “no” vote on Johnson to a “yes” vote, told reporters Friday that he made the decision after multiple phone conversations with the president-elect.
“This was all about making the Trump agenda work,” Self told reporters of his decision to endorse Johnson. “We have to be strong as a Republican conference to make the Trump agenda as successful as possible. That’s what this was about.”
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, for a procedural vote on a motion to impeach House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Oct. 3, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Norman also later confirmed to reporters that he had spoken with Trump. “He just said Mike was the only one who could be selected,” Norman said. He added that Trump had not changed his vote, but Johnson’s “commitment that things will change.”
Sources he told Fox News on Friday that the president-elect was in “constant communication” with House Republicans throughout the process.
Eleven Republican members of the House Freedom Caucus, who sparred with Johnson over various provisions in the government spending bill late last month, did not mince their words. In a letter Friday night, members said their decision to back Johnson was solely because of their support for the president-elect.
In the letter, authored by Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Med., and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, they say they are backing Johnson “because of our steadfast support for President Trump and to ensure timely verification of his constituents.”
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“We did so despite our sincere reservations about the president’s performance over the past 15 months,” the letter said. “Now, Chairman Johnson must prove that he will not fail to implement President Trump’s bold plan.”
Johnson, for his part, directly thanked Trump post on X.
“Thank you, President Trump! Today is a new day in America. Republicans in Congress must remain united to quickly fulfill President Trump’s America First agenda,” he said. “Let’s go get it done.”
