President-elect Donald Trump offered his congratulations to House Speaker Mike Johnson Friday following his reelection in a last-minute switch by two Republicans.
Trump, who had shown his support for Johnson hours earlier, said on Truth Social that Johnson received an "unprecedented vote of confidence" from his colleagues in the House.
Why It Matters
It is very unlikely Johnson could have been voted in without Trump's public signs of support, which likely swayed other GOP members in the House. Both Trump and Johnson have been very complimentary toward each other, particularly in recent weeks following the presidential election.
Earlier in the day, Trump said Johnson was a "fine man of great ability" as he sought to win the speakership at a time when Republicans hold a slim majority in the House. Two weeks ago, Johnson angered some Trump supporters by working with Democrats on a bill that narrowly avoided a government shutdown.
What To Know
Trump took to his social media platform soon after the vote Friday, which returned the Louisiana Republican to the speaker's chair after initially being short of votes on the first ballot. But Representatives Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas changed their votes to support Johnson after first casting votes against him.
"Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary," Trump posted. "The People of America have waited four years for Common Sense, Strength, and Leadership. They'll get it now, and America will be greater than ever before!"
A spokesperson for Norman confirmed to Newsweek that he had spoken to Trump twice Friday ahead of Johnson's win.
"He ended up switching his initial vote after Speaker Johnson reassured him that getting our fiscal house in order is a priority for him as well, and so that we can move ahead and focus on President Trump's agenda for the next four years," the spokesperson told Newsweek via email.
Other GOP members appeared cagey regarding a call from Trump while the vote was open, including Representative Tim Burchett, who was asked on CNN if Trump had spoken to him.
"I'm not going to talk about any conversations I may or may not have had with the president," he said. "President Trump is very involved, as he should be. His agenda is America's agency."
What People Are Saying
Keith Self on X (formerly Twitter): "My sole focus was advancing the Trump agenda. To ensure this, I expressed concerns to Speaker Johnson about fiscal responsibility and holding the line on deficit spending—key priorities for my constituents. After receiving firm assurances from the Speaker, that Republicans in the House will have strong representation during the budget reconciliation process—a cornerstone of President Trump's agenda—I changed my initial vote."
Tennessee GOP Representative Mark Green on X: "Congratulations Speaker Johnson. Under your leadership, I know we will be able to implement President Trump's America First agenda. It's time to hit the ground running."
Multiple GOP representatives, including Texas' Chip Roy, in a letter shared to X: "To deliver on the historic mandate earned by President Trump for the Republican Party, we must be organized to use reconciliation – and all legislative tools – to deliver on critical border security, spending cuts, pro-growth tax policy, regulatory reform, and the reversal of the damage done by the Biden-Harris administration."
What's Next
With Johnson's election, lawmakers can be sworn into their roles so that Congress can get to work. Johnson's task is to keep GOP House members united to pass Trump's policies. On Monday, they are set to certify Trump's victory, ahead of his inauguration on January 20.
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