- Donald Trump offered his full support for House Speaker Mike Johnson.
- Johnson is hoping to be reelected as House speaker on Friday.
- Trump’s endorsement may quell a growing frustration about Johnson’s leadership.
President-elect Donald Trump has set up another quasi-loyalty test for House Republicans before he formally reenters the White House.
On Monday, Trump endorsed Speaker Mike Johnson to remain as speaker when the House votes on its next leader on Friday.
“Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!”
If any Republicans still want to challenge Johnson, they would have to defy Trump. While Trump’s failure to get the GOP to back his debt ceiling plan shows such defiance is possible, electing a speaker is an entirely different matter.
Republicans hold an extremely narrow majority, meaning Johnson may be able to afford only a single defection.
Without a speaker, congressional lawmakers could not formally certify Trump’s 2024 election win, raising personal stakes for the president-elect to soothe current tensions.
At least one potential challenger, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, quickly lined up behind Johnson after Trump’s show of support.
“Agreed, @realDonaldTrump!” Jordan wrote on X. “Time to do what we said we would do.”
Elon Musk also offered his support.
“I feel the same way! You have my full support,” the world’s richest man wrote on X in a reply to Johnson’s post thanking Trump for his backing.
A handful of House conservatives have previously expressed displeasure with Johnson, particularly his role in crafting legislation that extended government funding through March 14. Musk and Trump teamed up to kill Johnson’s initial bipartisan deal, which was loaded with unrelated provisions to garner support from House Democrats.
Not everyone appears to be convinced by Trump’s backing. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a libertarian, who initially supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary, reiterated his frustration with Johnson’s leadership.
“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 wrote on X. “We’ve seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget.”
Allison Robbert / AFP via Getty Images
Why some conservatives aren’t happy with Mike Johnson
Johnson also failed to deliver on Trump’s last-minute demand to add a debt-ceiling extension to the must-pass funding bill. Trump has advocated for Congress to permanently ax the debt ceiling, a view shared by liberal lawmakers like Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Trump’s debt ceiling failure illustrated that despite his popularity among the GOP base, the president-elect doesn’t always get what he wants. Last year, Trump unsuccessfully tried to topple Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Unlike the Senate, the House speaker vote is public. The House is also filled with Trump loyalists, even more so than when he took office in 2017. While Trump failed to get Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a close ally, elected speaker last year, the then-former president effectively killed another Republican hopeful’s chances during the chaos after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster.
Trump is also more powerful than last year. He returns to Washington with the promise of a GOP trifecta.
As the incoming president, he has a greater perch to reward loyalists and attack dissenters than he did during the 2023 speaker’s race.
