On Friday, House Speaker nominee Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) was reelected as Speaker.
The Louisiana Republican won along party lines in the first round, in contrast to his predecessor’s 15 long-running 2023 elections.
Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) and Rep. Ralph Norman (South Carolina) initially voted for another member but then switched their support before voting for Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) ) ended up being the only Republican to vote against Johnson. to Republican leaders.
This comes despite heavy criticism from some conservatives who have threatened to withhold support from Johnson in protest of his handling of government funds and several other issues in the 118th Congress. I was disappointed.
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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) won re-election and became Speaker of the House. (Getty Images | Associated Press)
Mr. Massey, a Kentucky Republican who participated in the unsuccessful campaign to oust Mr. Johnson last year, was the speaker’s most vocal critic in the lead up to Friday’s vote.
He told former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz on his new One America News Network show, “You can pull out all my nails or I’ll shove bamboo in them.” But you can cut off my fingers.”
“I’m not going to vote for Mike Johnson tomorrow. You can take it to the bank,” Massey said.
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Congressman Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) pictured outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on December 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Other critics include House Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who has expressed interest in chairing the influential House Rules Committee, which dictates the terms of full House votes on bills. Members of the Freedom Caucus were also included.
In response, Mr. Johnson’s allies warned that a prolonged battle for speaker could delay a joint session of Congress scheduled for Monday to certify President-elect Trump’s victory.
However, like most Republicans, Roy ended up supporting Johnson.
On Friday afternoon, the gavel appeared to be out of reach, with three House Republicans voting for a speaker other than Johnson, but Johnson’s future briefly looked uncertain.
But Mr Johnson then huddled behind closed doors with Mr Self, Mr Norman and other MPs before the vote was announced. Both men later emerged and switched their votes to support Johnson.
Two sources told Fox News Digital that then-Rep. Nancy Mace (R.S.C.) helped facilitate the phone conversation with resistance groups on both sides.
Both men acknowledged that they spoke with Trump, but did not provide details of the call.
President-elect Trump once again endorsed Johnson for chairman. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Trump also emphasized his support for Republican leaders hours before the noon vote.
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“I wish Speaker of the House Mike Johnson the best of luck today. He’s a great, highly qualified person, and he’s very close to 100% support. Mike’s win today is a huge win for the Republican Party. “A momentous presidential election!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social app.
Johnson responded to X, saying, “Thank you, President Trump! This is a new day for America. Congressional Republicans must come together and quickly implement President Trump’s America First policies. Let’s get it done.”
His victory marks the beginning of his first full term as chairman. Johnson won the gavel in October 2023 after three weeks of closed-door talks following the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for FOX News Digital, where she leads coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines can be found on the Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow @liz_elkind on Twitter and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com.
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