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Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House, giving the embattled representative an important endorsement amid a Republican battle ahead of Friday's vote.
The president-elect on Monday said Johnson he had “full and complete approval”, calling him a “good, hard-working, religious man” who would “do the right thing” in a post on his social media platform Social Truth.
Support from Trump it comes at a critical moment for Johnson, with Republicans preparing to vote on who will lead the lower house of Congress on January 3.
Johnson's future was in flux after other lawmakers voiced their opposition, including Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Andy Harris of Maryland, who leads the liberal caucus, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, have also withdrawn their support.
The minority Republican majority of 220 seats, compared to the 215 held by the Democrats, will shrink to 219 when the new Congress convenes, due to the resignation of Matt Gaetz. The Florida representative said he would vacate his House seat after tapping Trump to serve as his attorney general, but later withdrew from consideration for the position.
The slim Republican majority means Johnson can only lose one vote if he is to retain his leadership position.
It's not the first time that Republicans have been divided in recent weeks, with the conflict over an agreement to avoid a government shutdown underscoring the difficult balancing act Johnson will have to navigate if he's re-elected. The fight also questioned whether Johnson has enough support to regain the House leadership.
Johnson's first attempt at a bipartisan bill to keep the government funded was shot down by Trump and his allies, who criticized it for taking billions of dollars in additional spending and other inconsistent measures. He then failed to push through a plan backed by the president-elect that would have raised the debt ceiling while keeping the government funded, after 38 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it. A deal was reached shortly before the deadline, but without the debt ceiling provision Trump originally wanted.
Trump on Monday urged Republicans not to “blow this great opportunity”, citing a re-election victory that not only returned Trump to the White House for a second term but gave Republicans control of both houses of Congress. .
Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, Representative Mike Lawler of New York said removing Mike Johnson would be “stupid”.
“The truth is these people are playing with fire,” he said. And if they think they're somehow going to get a caring Speaker, they're kidding.”
Johnson said in a post on X that he was “honored and humbled” by Trump's support. “Together, we will quickly deliver your America First agenda and usher in a new golden age for America.