On Friday, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) finally secured the votes he needed to claim the House Speaker’s gavel but not without some initial uncertainty. In a dramatic first round of voting, Reps. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Keith Self (R-Texas) cast their ballots for alternative candidates before shifting their support to Johnson, ultimately giving him the majority. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) remained the only Republican holdout in the end.
This wasn’t just a win for Johnson; it was a win for Donald Trump. The former president threw his weight behind Johnson, working behind the scenes to help secure his victory, clearly convincing a number of holdouts to back Johnson.
With the speakership now resolved, the House can move forward under Johnson’s leadership and tackle its legislative duties, including certifying the presidential election on January 6.
Still, the road to this resolution was anything but smooth, and it highlighted a recurring problem for Republicans: unity. The infighting and drama preceding Johnson’s win weren’t just embarrassing — they undermined the party’s credibility.
Newt Gingrich appeared on Fox News during the vote and didn’t hold back in criticizing the GOP holdouts.
“You can’t have a contrarian caucus with a very, very narrow margin,” he said. “The question I would ask both Norman and Massie is, so what is part two? Other than helping Hakeem Jeffries and hurting Donald Trump, what do you think you are accomplishing? I don’t see what the second act is. They might feel good, get some media, and be able to raise some money, but they are doing it at the cost of the country. The country gave a mandate not to Massie; it didn’t give a mandate to anybody else except Donald Trump. And I think for them to undermine this on the opening day is almost suicidally stupid.”
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Gingrich’s assessment is hard to argue with. Opposing Johnson without presenting a viable alternative revealed just how fragmented the GOP has become. Names like Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) were floated as options last year, but none stood a realistic chance of uniting the party in a full House vote. Johnson was always the most viable option to avoid a repeat of the protracted chaos that followed Kevin McCarthy’s ouster in 2023.
Thankfully, Republicans managed to avert another drawn-out battle, and Johnson’s election allows the House to refocus on governance. However, the damage done by the spectacle of dysfunction shouldn’t be ignored. The question of whether Republicans can effectively lead — despite having a majority — remains unanswered. The events surrounding Johnson’s election serve as a harsh reminder that disunity within the party can have dire consequences.
As the dust settles, Republicans must take this moment as a wake-up call. With Johnson holding the gavel once again, the GOP has an opportunity to demonstrate that it can govern responsibly and efficiently. For the sake of the country and the party, it’s time to stop the infighting and get to work undoing the damage Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have inflicted over the past four years.
