Allies of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, are urging it President-elect Trump To publicly reaffirm support for the House GOP leader to avoid a messy, protracted battle that could delay certification of his victory.
“If we have some kind of protracted fight where we can't elect a president — the president isn't elected, we haven't been sworn in. And if we haven't been sworn in, we can't certify the election,” the representative said. Carlos Gimenez, Republican of Florida, told Fox News Digital.
“I hope that President Trump will step in and talk to those who might be a little hesitant, and say, 'We have to get started. We don't have time.'”
Meanwhile, Texas Republican Rep. Pat Fallon told Fox News Digital that “it would be very helpful” for Trump to participate.
Top Trump aides join group preparing to support MAGA agenda
Allies of House Speaker Mike Johnson are looking to President-elect Trump for help to avoid a long, chaotic race for speaker. (Getty Images)
“It would be great any time, but right after Christmas if President Trump says, ‘You know, listen’ — it would be really great if Mike Johnson somehow ends up at Mar-a-Lago for Christmas… wherever the president is.” Fallon said. “I think it will be incredibly powerful.”
House lawmakers return to Washington, D.C., for a chamber-wide vote to elect the Speaker of the House on Friday, January 3. Just days later, on Monday, January 6, the House of Representatives will meet to certify the results of the 2024 elections.
Johnson faces a potential battle to win the House Speakership for a full term in Congress, with many House Republicans openly criticizing the Louisiana Republican and his handling of government finances.
His predecessor suffered 14 public defeats in his quest to win the gavel, finally getting it after days of negotiations with naysayers in the 15th House-wide vote.
When he was ousted, Johnson won after a three-week GOP battle that paralyzed Congress for its duration.
But some House Republicans are now warning that they can afford little delay in what Trump himself has said he hopes will be a very active first 100 days of his second term.
“To ensure President Trump can take office and begin work on January 20, we must be able to certify the 2024 election on January 6,” said Rep. Claudia Tenney. “However, without a president, we cannot complete this process.” RN.Y said. Fox News Digital.
Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, is one of Johnson's defenders (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Tenney warned that this could delay “the launch of his agenda.”
Congress narrowly avoided a partial government shutdown hours after the December 20 federal funding deadline, passing a bill to extend that deadline through March 14 while extending several other key programs and replenishing FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund.
That angered GOP hardliners who opposed adding unrelated political contestants to what they thought would be a more visible extension of government funding.
Johnson too I tried and failed To respond to Trump's request to pair action on the debt limit — which has been suspended until January 2025 — with a government funding bill, after 38 House Republicans and all but two Democrats voted against it.
Fallon told Fox News Digital that doesn't necessarily mean they will challenge Trump if he backs Johnson again before January 3.
“Some people in the 38 – this was a tentative thing – really want to attack the debt,” Fallon said. “They felt like they wanted to leave the debt ceiling in place for two years — they like to use that as a negotiating tool to say: Let's get the debt-to-GDP ratio down.”
The Senate passes a bill to stop the shutdown, and sends it to President Biden's desk
But one of Johnson's biggest critics, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has already told reporters that he will not vote for Johnson next year.
Two others, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Maryland, and Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, indicated they were no longer committed to supporting Johnson over the weekend.
At the same time, there were media reports that Trump was dissatisfied with the way Johnson handled government finances and that his request for debt control was not heeded.
Trump himself has not mentioned Johnson publicly since Friday's vote. But top Trump allies, such as Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, came to Johnson's defense.
It took 15 rounds of voting for former President Kevin McCarthy to win the gavel (Valerie Blish)
“He is without a doubt the most conservative Speaker of the House we have ever lived,” Cruz said on his “The Verdict” radio show. “If Mike Johnson is ousted as Speaker of the House, we will end up with a Speaker of the House who is far more liberal than Mike Johnson.”
Others also pointed out that Trump's influence will greatly influence what ultimately happens.
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one Republican House of Representatives They, who granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital early last week that they had considered opposing Johnson, but said Trump would be the ultimate deciding factor.
He added: “I think, ultimately, it will be determined who President Trump will like, because I think that will greatly influence the decision-making process on this matter, because President Trump is currently working very well with Mike Johnson. They have a great relationship.” Rep. Tim Burchett, Republican of Tennessee, told CNN's “State of the Union.”
Asked whether he would support Johnson if Trump did so, despite opposition to his government funding plans, Burchett said “maybe.”
Johnson will head to the Speaker's vote on January 3 with just a narrow GOP lead of three votes – and is unlikely to get Democratic support.
