President-elect Donald Trump has offered his “complete and total endorsement” of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), bolstering Johnson’s bid to retain his position ahead of a pivotal House vote on Friday.
“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!” Trump announced on Truth Social.
The endorsement comes as Johnson faces mounting challenges from within his own party. Discontent over his handling of critical issues, including the contentious end-of-year funding package to keep the government running, has left some GOP members questioning his leadership.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has already declared he will not back Johnson, and several other hardline conservatives remain undecided. With the GOP’s razor-thin House majority, Johnson can afford to lose no more than one Republican vote if all members are present and voting.
Johnson responded swiftly to Trump’s endorsement, expressing gratitude and reaffirming his commitment to advancing Trump’s agenda.
“Thank you, President Trump! I’m honored and humbled by your support, as always. Together, we will quickly deliver on your America First agenda and usher in the new golden age of America. The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let’s get to work!” Johnson posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Key Test for Trump’s Influence
Trump’s endorsement is widely viewed as a crucial factor in Johnson’s chances of securing the Speakership. Many GOP lawmakers have signaled that Trump’s support could determine whether Johnson faces any serious opposition during the January 3 vote.
“It’s going to be more up to Trump than anybody else. He’s going to weigh in on it, I’m sure,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who has yet to commit to backing Johnson.
This support comes despite friction between Trump and Johnson over the debt ceiling negotiations in December. Trump had pushed for an immediate hike to the debt ceiling to prevent Democrats from leveraging it in 2025. Johnson, however, was unable to deliver due to internal Republican opposition.
Instead, House Republicans reached a compromise, agreeing to raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion while slashing $2.5 trillion in spending as part of a reconciliation bill aligned with Trump’s legislative priorities.
Trump reiterated his stance on Sunday, calling for immediate action on the debt ceiling and appearing to place blame on former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for earlier decisions.
“The extension of the Debt Ceiling by a previous Speaker of the House, a good man and a friend of mine … will go down as one of the dumbest political decisions made in years,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Path Forward
With Trump’s endorsement, Johnson aims to unite a fractious Republican caucus and stave off dissent from hardliners. However, whether his leadership will satisfy competing factions in the party remains to be seen.
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