Donald Trump may be on the verge of getting what he has wanted all along in the chaotic House speaker fight.
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) has emerged as the latest Republican nominee to replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker, and the twice-impeached former president strongly encouraged GOP lawmakers to rally behind one of the chief election deniers in the House with an eye on next year's presidential election.
"Congratulations to Congressional Republicans! Yesterday was a big and very important day," Trump posted on Truth Social. "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. 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)."
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Coverage of Tuesday's attempt to elect a speaker, which fell apart after Trump attacked GOP nominee Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) as a "globalist RINO," has widely focused on the chaos and dysfunction in the Republican caucus, and the former president weighed in on Wednesday's vote with an apparent eye on the Jan. 6, 2025, congressional certification of next year's presidential election.
"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 posted. "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."
Johnson, who has represented Louisiana’s 4th congressional district since 2016, was one of the leading figures in House efforts to overturn Trump's election loss.
The Republican Accountability Project gave him a failing grade for his commitment to democracy, noting that Johnson had signed on to a Texas amicus brief challenging Trump's election loss in key battleground states and whipped up anger on social media on the morning of the U.S. Capitol riot.
“We MUST fight for election integrity, the Constitution, and the preservation of our republic!" Johnson tweeted. "It will be my honor to help lead that fight in the Congress today.”
Johnson voted against certifying Joe Biden's election win after then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled Congress back into session on Jan. 6, 2021, and he voted against the bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection and voted against holding Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress.
"Rep. Johnson has no interest in preserving our democracy, he gets an F," the Republican Accountability Project stated.
