Former and incoming President-elect President Donald Trump has endorsed U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to continue as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Johnson, whose past political profile could be generously described as “unmemorable,” was first plucked from obscurity when Republicans scrambled to replace Kevin McCarthy. Now, Trump is giving Johnson the golden ticket to stay in the spotlight.
Giving Johnson the MAGA stamp of approval, Trump declared recently, “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!
Translation: Johnson mostly followed Trump’s playbook and was able to sidestep many landmines. Some say that the endorsement is also the result of Trump wanting to make sure that the January 6th electoral college certification is done quickly.
After a Speaker is chosen, they will need to administer the oaths of office and get onto the business of the counting session. Not electing a speaker could complicate that timeline.
Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon told CNN, “To oppose Johnson now weakens the GOP and strengthens Hakeem Jeffries. It also puts at risk the Electoral College Certification scheduled for 6 Jan.”
However, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has said he will not vote for Johnson, said, “Johnson nearly led us to the minority in what was a banner year for Trump. He is certain to lose us the majority in 2026.”
Others in the MAGA House are unsatisfied with Johnson’s tenure as well but haven’t committed to voting against the Speaker. Their criticisms involve opposition to government spending and foreign aid issues during his watch. It’s reported that many far-right MAGA folks in the House are looking for assurances from the Speaker about how things will proceed in the future. The fruits of those discussions will be seen during the Speaker election on Friday, January 3rd.
Trump’s nod to Speaker Mike Johnson sets the stage for a high-stakes encore. As the GOP faces internal divisions and looming challenges, Johnson’s ability to deliver on MAGA expectations while keeping the party unified will be his true test. And it’s going to be a difficult test with an often un- unified group of Republicans he has to deal with.
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