President-elect Donald Trump has issued a “complete and total endorsement” of Mike Johnson for another term as Speaker of the House of Representatives. This comes amidst growing discontent among fellow Republicans regarding Johnson’s leadership. Trump’s public support, previously uncertain, seemingly secures Johnson’s re-election after the new Congress is sworn in on Friday. In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Johnson as “a good, hard working, religious man,” predicting continued success under his leadership. Johnson expressed gratitude for the endorsement, vowing to deliver on Trump’s “America First” agenda.
This endorsement follows a recent rift between Trump and Johnson. The president-elect, along with his advisor Elon Musk, opposed a short-term spending deal Johnson negotiated with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. Trump subsequently called for an increase in the federal debt ceiling, but faced a rebellion from 38 fiscally conservative House Republicans, resulting in a compromise bill that fell short of his demands. This incident highlighted Johnson’s struggle to balance Trump’s expectations with his slim majority in the House, a majority further threatened by the upcoming resignations of several Republican members to join the Trump administration.
Johnson’s position has been further jeopardized by the announced opposition of Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, along with several other conservatives who have withheld their support. Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett indicated that the Republican caucus would largely await Trump’s endorsement before deciding whether to challenge Johnson. The Speaker election is scheduled for three days before Congress certifies Trump’s election victory on January 6th. A failure to elect a Speaker by then could delay the certification process.