President-elect of the United States Donald Trump expressed his full support for current House Speaker Mike Johnson ahead of the House Speaker election vote scheduled for the 3rd of next month. Amid ongoing opposition from the Republican hardliners surrounding Speaker Johnson, this move is interpreted as an effort to prevent any vacancy in the House Speaker position from occurring on the first day of the new Congress by curbing defections within the party.
President-elect of the United States Donald Trump (right) visited Washington on the 13th of last month (local time) after the presidential election and shook hands with House Speaker Mike Johnson. Photo by AP Yonhap News
On the 30th (local time), Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, "Mike has my complete and total support. MAGA (Make America Great Again)!" He emphasized, "Speaker Mike Johnson is a great, hardworking, and faithful man," adding, "He will do the right thing, and we will continue to win."
This supportive message drew attention as it came ahead of the House Speaker vote on the opening day of the 119th U.S. Congress. Speaker Johnson, who has expressed his intention to seek re-election, currently faces uncertainty over his re-election due to opposition from some Republican hardliners. To be elected as House Speaker, who ranks third in the U.S. power hierarchy after the President and Vice President, a majority of 218 votes out of 435 seats is required. Since the Republican Party holds 219 seats in the 119th Congress, even just two defections would make Johnson's re-election difficult. The Republican hardliners argue that he is too conciliatory toward the Democrats.
If a vacancy in the House Speaker position occurs in Congress, it could affect the certification of the presidential election results by the joint session of Congress scheduled for the 6th of next month, as well as negatively impact the initial momentum of the incoming Trump administration. Trump's statement on the day, calling the Republican Party "the party of common sense" and urging, "Let's not waste this great opportunity given to us," also reflects concerns that internal party turmoil over the House Speaker election could cause such setbacks. He further emphasized, "The American people need immediate relief from all the destructive policies of the previous administration."
In the United States, vacancies in the House Speaker position also occurred in January and October of last year. The Republican hardliners who led the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Johnson's predecessor, were the same group. The New York Times (NYT) noted that "it is unclear whether Trump's endorsement guarantees Johnson's smooth re-election," pointing out that some members of Congress, including Representative Thomas Massie, have expressed opposition to Speaker Johnson. The outlet also added that Johnson had previously privately sought support from Trump, who reportedly told his aides that he was not fully confident about it.
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