On Capitol Hill, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) secured the position of Speaker of the House on Friday, fulfilling a bold prediction by Republican firebrand Matt Gaetz. The newly minted news host’s accurate call, made just hours before the vote, bolstered his credibility in his new role. Gaetz, who recently transitioned from lawmaker to political commentator, had confidently tweeted his prediction early Friday morning.
“Mike Johnson will be elected Speaker today. On the first vote. People might like or dislike that. I’m just reporting the news,” Gaetz, who resigned ahead of Congress being gaveled back into session, wrote. And while Johnson was reelected, it was actually on the second ballot after President-elect Donald Trump reportedly intervened to discuss the situation with some GOP holdouts.
Mike Johnson will be elected Speaker today.
On the first vote.
People might like or dislike that. I’m just reporting the news.
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) January 3, 2025
The vote for Speaker of the House was anything but certain. Rep. Mike Johnson initially fell just two votes shy of the 218 needed to secure the gavel, as Republican holdouts Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Keith Self (R-TX), and Thomas Massie (R-KY) withheld their support. Meanwhile, Democrats remained united, casting all their votes for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). “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.
The deadlock broke mid-vote when Norman and Self reversed their positions, citing a need to resolve the impasse that had stalled the GOP-controlled House. Their support, combined with Massie’s decision to abstain, reduced the majority threshold and allowed Johnson to clinch the Speakership.
Johnson’s election represents a pivotal victory for Republicans, who have faced challenges in maintaining unity since reclaiming the House majority. The protracted, weeks-long battle to elect a Speaker laid bare deep divisions within the party, sparking doubts about its capacity to govern cohesively. For Matt Gaetz, however, the day stands as a personal triumph, reinforcing his influence within the GOP and his burgeoning role as a political commentator.