WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- President-elect Donald Trump on Monday endorsed House Speaker Mike Johnson days ahead of a vote for speaker, despite recent efforts to derail a bipartisan spending deal that Johnson had negotiated.
"Speaker Mike Johnson is good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement," Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump's endorsement comes at a time when Johnson is encountering resistance from conservative members of his own party ahead of Friday's vote.
On Monday morning, Victoria Spartz, a Republican congresswoman from Indiana, presented a new set of conditions to secure her vote, emphasizing that she wanted the next speaker to publicly commit to several fiscal conservative priorities.
Trump's endorsement, however, could help reduce further opposition, which is crucial for Johnson's bid to serve another term in a slim GOP majority in the lower chamber.
In the November election, House Democrats flipped nine seats, while Republicans flipped eight, resulting in a net gain of one seat for Democrats. The Republicans will hold 220 seats, while Democrats will have 215, meaning Johnson can afford to lose no more than two Republican votes if Democrats universally oppose him.
On Oct. 25 2023, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, then vice chairman of the House Republican conference, was elected the new House speaker in a full chamber vote, bringing weeks of chaos to a momentary halt as Republicans struggled to find a replacement after the historic ousting of Kevin McCarthy.
With ongoing infighting between conservatives and moderates within the Republican Party, it has been challenging for Johnson to maintain his leadership. ■