Trump endorses Mike Johnson for House Speaker: Which Republican lawmakers are opposed?
Even as President-elect Donald Trump threw his support to keep House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in his powerful leadership role, some Republican lawmakers are holding out on offering their endorsements.
“I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan,” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., wrote Monday on X, formerly Twitter. “We’ve seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget.”
House lawmakers on Friday are set to vote on the speakership amid dissatisfaction from key Republicans over Johnson's leadership.
Massie is not the only Republican who is declining to support Johnson.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Az., who has been critical of Johnson over the spending bill battle earlier this month, remains undecided about whether to support Johnson despite Trump’s endorsement.
“I haven’t publicly or privately committed yet,” Biggs told Fox News on Monday. “I do want to speak with the speaker just to see what his plans are because there are some issues that I think need to be worked out.”
Trump's agenda in trouble? What the Republican revolt on spending bill tells us
Shortly after Trump’s endorsement, Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., spelled out a list of demands dealing with legislation, taxes and federal spending that she wants to see from Johnson before she backs him for the speakership.
“Congress has abandoned its constitutional duty to the American people to properly oversee the spending of their hard-earned money paid as taxes,” Spartz said in a statement. “Our next speaker must show courageous leadership to get our country back on track before this ‘Titanic’ strikes an iceberg at any moment.”
Republicans were divided earlier this month amid a government shutdown fight after Johnson initially backed a bipartisan funding deal. Trump and multibillionaire Elon Musk attacked the bipartisan legislation, leading to its demise. A replacement bill backed by Trump then failed in the House after Democrats and 38 Republicans voted against it.
Ultimately, a different funding agreement passed Congress shortly after the shutdown deadline, backed mostly by Democrats and rejected by dozens of Republican lawmakers.
More: Which 38 Republicans voted against Trump's plan to keep the government running?
Another internal Republican fight for the House speaker could also hold up certifying Trump’s 2024 presidential win and could indicate trouble getting the president-elect’s agenda passed in the new year.
House Republicans will hold a narrow majority in the new Congress after they won a majority of seats over the Democrats, 220-215. But that number will be even smaller – 219 to 215 – when lawmakers convene Friday because Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House last month and won't take his seat on Jan. 3.
Gaetz stepped down from Congress in November after Trump nominated him to serve as attorney general, but he soon withdrew amid allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use.
The margin will narrow further, temporarily, to 217-215 in the weeks after Congress convenes once a couple of lawmakers whom Trump appointed to his new administration leave their seats to serve in the executive branch.
Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., is expected to resign from Congress on Jan. 20 to serve as Trump's national security advisor. And Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y, is also expected to leave Congress to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Both will be allowed to vote for speaker on Friday and be sworn in, even though they are expected to later leave their seats.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Which Republican lawmakers won’t back Mike Johnson for House Speaker?