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Mike Johnson was set to lose a first bid to be re-elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, as top Republicans struggled to avoid a chaotic start to the second Donald Trump era in Washington.
Johnson’s fight to secure the presidency in the first round of voting Friday is a blow to Trump, who has vigorously supported the Louisiana lawmaker for the top job in the lower house of Congress. But Johnson could still win in subsequent votes.
The vote ended with 216 votes for Johnson, 215 for Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House, and three votes for the others. That left the Republican short of the support needed to win the presidency. The vote was not yet finalized shortly before 2 p.m. in Washington.
The US legislature opened its proceedings at noon, with the new Republican majority in the Senate taking office and the House’s first order of business being the election of a new speaker for its smaller Republican majority.
Johnsonwho replaced Kevin McCarthy after his ouster in October 2023, needed near-unanimous support to win re-election, given that Republicans control 219 seats compared to 215 seats held by Democrats.
But he suffered three initial defections from the first vote. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky lawmaker, opposed Johnson’s re-election, supporting Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota. Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina, supported Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Keith Self of Texas supported Byron Donalds of Florida.
Before the vote, Trump made a public appeal to Republicans to support Johnson. The vote is crucial in the short term because the House will need to have a speaker in place to certify Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election on Monday, paving the way for his Jan. 20 inauguration.
“Good luck today to President Mike Johnson, a great and capable man, who is on the verge of 100% support,” Trump said Friday on his Truth Social platform, ahead of the vote.
“A victory for Mike today will be a great victory for the Republican Party.”
Longer term, difficulty for Johnson retaining the presidency could be a bad sign for Trump’s ability to pass his agenda in the House, as it would show that some Republicans are willing to oppose his wishes and challenge party discipline.
The process could now drag on for several rounds, as was the case in early 2023 when McCarthy was chosen as president after 15 votes and dramatic negotiations with holdouts within his party.
Johnson met Thursday with a group of Republicans who said they were undecided about whether to support him for president — but he may now have to enter more intense negotiations with holdouts to win their support.
Johnson faced growing opposition to his role as president after dozens of grassroots conservatives became angry before the Christmas holiday when he proposed a government funding agreement this required a compromise with Democrats to ensure its passage.
However, Johnson has remained very close to Trump and his inner circle in recent weeks, coordinating plans to quickly push his top priorities through Congress, and counting on the president-elect’s support to overcome resistance.
No other candidate has emerged as a possible rival to Johnson for president, but Republican discontent is concentrated within the House Freedom Caucus, which includes the most ardent conservatives. Even if Johnson survives the presidential vote, members of the House Freedom Caucus are expected to remain a thorn in his side as he tries to pass legislation supported by Trump.
