Home Speaker Mike Johnson is spending New Yr’s Day with President-elect Donald Trump forward of a showdown vote later this week to maintain his management publish.
Johnson informed Louisiana-based radio station Information Radio 710 KEEL that he would spend the day Wednesday with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.
“We will map out some technique, and he needed to take photographs and do a giant endorsement on that day,” Johnson informed the station in a story revealed on Tuesday. “I known as him yesterday and mentioned, ‘Mr. President, let’s go forward and try this,’, so he did.”
ABC Information has reached out to Johnson’s workplace for remark.
Trump endorsed Johnson on Monday, calling on Republicans to unite and “not blow” the chance after sustaining Home management and profitable a majority within the Senate within the November elections.
Johnson, who angered some in his personal social gathering throughout final month’s legislative battle to fund the federal government and keep away from the shutdown, may be capable to lose just one member’s assist throughout Friday’s vote — relying on attendance.
Whereas Trump’s endorsement was a win for Johnson, some hardline Republicans are nonetheless skeptical he may have the assist to get reelected as speaker. One in all Johnson’s opponents, Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, has doubled down that he nonetheless doesn’t plan to vote for him even after Trump’s endorsement.
Trump informed ABC Information White Home Correspondent MaryAlice Parks on Tuesday evening that he believes Republicans will again Johnson, saying he is “the one that may win proper now.”
Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson welcomes President-elect Donald Trump onstage at a Home Republicans Convention assembly on the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs
Nonetheless, Trump went on to recommend dozens of lawmakers do not “like” Johnson, who ascended to the highest publish final 12 months after Republican infighting led to the historic ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“I feel we’ll have a good time in Washington, and I feel we’ll get nice assist, and he is the one that may win proper now. Folks like him. Virtually everyone likes him. Others are superb too, however they’ve 30 or 40 folks that do not like him, in order that’s fairly powerful,” Trump mentioned.
When requested if he is calling different members of Congress in assist of Johnson, Trump mentioned he would if wanted.
“If vital, however I feel actually, we’ll have a good time. We will get a profitable vote. He is a very good man. He is a really great individual, and that is what you want,” the president-elect mentioned.
There are roughly 15 Home Republicans by ABC Information’ rely who’re undecided on whether or not they’ll vote for Johnson.
Nobody has come out to publicly problem Johnson for speaker. Indiana GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz, although, informed Fox Information on Monday that a few of her colleagues have an interest within the speakership although she would not present names.
“I hope we now have it [a speaker] earlier than January sixth,” Spartz mentioned. Jan. 6 marks the date that the 2024 election outcomes will probably be licensed by Congress.
Home Republican management on Wednesday revealed an op-ed on Fox Information additionally pleaded with their convention to stay collectively to allow them to ship on Trump’s marketing campaign guarantees — noting the challenges of their slender Home majority.
“The American folks can’t afford to attend for reduction when their lives and livelihoods are at stake. Because the Republican management in Congress, we now have ready an aggressive plan to take away any roadblocks and supply a glidepath for President Trump’s reforms and coverage agenda,” wrote Johnson, Majority Chief Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Republican Convention Chairwoman-elect Lisa McClain.
They added, “To implement that imaginative and prescient, we should stay united.”
ABC Information’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
