US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday backed House Speaker Mike Johnson for another term as speaker. In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised the Louisiana Republican, saying he is a "good, hard-working, religious man". Trump added that the House Speaker "will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN." “Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement," he added in the post.
In response to Trump's endorsement, Johnson thanked Trump saying, “The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let's get to work!”
Trump's support for Johnson comes despite Johnson pushing through a spending bill through the House before Christmas, which ultimately failed to achieve his central goal of raising the debt limit.
What about other Republicans?
However, other Republicans have their apprehensions as criticism over the spending bill leaves Johnson's consecutive stint as the GOP majority in jeopardy.
Though a deal was reached, averting a holiday shutdown, Johnson had to rely on Democrats to keep the government running, highlighting the limits of his influence and exposing cracks in his party's support.
The speaker's first two funding plans collapsed as Trump, who does not take the oath of office until January 20, interceded with calls to suspend or lift the government debt ceiling.
Johnson's efforts to stay close yield results
Johnson, who has worked hard to stay close to Trump over the last several months, convinced the president-elect that he would meet his demands to raise the debt limit in 2025. Trump had remained quiet about Johnson's fate before a January 3 leadership vote for over a week, even as some Republicans signalled that they may not support Johnson for the role.
Republican Victoria Spartz, one of the Republicans who opposed Kevin McCarthy's initial bid for the speakership, said in a statement Monday that “our next speaker must show courageous leadership to get our country back on track.
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(With agency inputs)
