Speaker Mike Johnson has secured enough votes to retain the gavel, but he faces a significant challenge in leading Congress with the narrowest House majority in nearly a century. To be elected speaker, a candidate must receive a majority of all votes cast. Notably, two Republicans who initially opposed Johnson have since changed their votes in his favor, CNN and Fox News reported.
“It comes despite saber-rattling by some conservatives who threatened to withhold support from Johnson in protest of his handling of government funding and several other issues in the 118th Congress,” Fox noted on Friday. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who had previously been involved in an unsuccessful effort to unseat Johnson last year, emerged as the speaker-designate’s most vocal critic in the lead-up to Friday’s vote.
He told former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on his new One America News Network program, “You can pull all my fingernails out, you can shove bamboo up in them, you can start cutting off my fingers.” He added: “I am not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow, and you can take that to the bank.” The Kentucky Republican held true to his word despite the closeness of the vote and the very real possibility that, had voting been protracted, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York could have won the spot in a GOP-controlled chamber.
Other critics included members of the House Freedom Caucus, such as Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who has shown interest in chairing the influential House Rules Committee, which oversees the terms for House-wide votes on legislation. Johnson’s supporters cautioned that extending the battle over the House Speaker could delay Congress’ joint session scheduled for January 6 to certify President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. Johnson also had a key backer in Trump, who emphasized his support for the GOP leader hours before the midday vote.
“Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support. A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social app. Johnson wrote on X in response, “Thank you, President Trump! Today is a new day in America. Congressional Republicans must stay united to quickly deliver President Trump’s America First agenda. Let’s get it done.”
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