After Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) withdrew from the race for House Speaker mere hours after being nominated by the House GOP, Republicans had to scramble to pick a replacement.
And so they did. GOP Conference Vice Chair Mike Johnson (R-La.) won the latest round of secret ballot voting in the GOP caucus, and, unlike previous nominees Reps. Steve Scalise (R-La.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Emmer, there is overwhelming optimism that the GOP has finally found a speaker-designee whom the party can all rally behind and get elected as speaker.
“Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system,” Johnson said after emerging as the winner of the latest vote. “We’re going to restore your trust in what we do here.”
Johnson won with 128 votes in the caucus. However, a roll call taken afterward indicated that Johnson should get the necessary votes to be elected speaker in the upcoming House vote, hopefully putting an end to all the drama. Johnson can only afford a few GOP detractions and still win.
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Another thing working for Johnson is that even Donald Trump is urging Republicans to unite behind him.
“Congratulations to Congressional Republicans! Yesterday was a big and very important day. It gave us a quick and easy way forward with 5 candidates who are beyond reproach, and represent the absolute best there is in the Republican Party,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Wednesday morning. “Even the Fake News Media is impressed with what took place yesterday and, more importantly, with the Candidates themselves. Congratulations to Reps. Byron Donalds (Florida), Charles J. “Chuck” Fleischmann (Tennessee), Mark Green (Tennessee), & Roger Williams (Texas), & the ultimate winner of yesterday’s vote, by a significant margin, Mike Johnson (Louisiana).”
Though all of the candidates met his approval, Trump chose not to make an endorsement but nevertheless “suggested” that Republicans coalesce behind Johnson and “get it done.”
“I am not going to make an Endorsement in this race, because I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory,” Trump continued. “In 2024, we will have an even bigger, & more important, WIN! My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST! LOVE, DJT.”
A full House vote is expected to take place after noon on Wednesday.
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