POLITICAL

Trump issues stark warning to 'attention-seeking' Republican rebels over speaker vote

January, 03, 2025-04:55

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Trump issues stark warning to 'attention-seeking' Republican rebels over speaker vote:

House Republicans are set to vote on their next speaker on Friday, but with less than a day to go, it remains unclear whether Speaker Mike Johnson will have the necessary votes. The new Congress will convene Friday after lawmakers spent Thursday traveling back to Washington from the holiday break. But as of Thursday afternoon, Speaker Johnson was still working to win over GOP lawmakers to support his leadership bid even with the backing of President-elect Donald Trump.


With such a small GOP majority in the House, Johnson can only afford one Republican to vote against him in his conference and still be reelected speaker. But he vowed Thursday they are going to 'get this done' and suggested it could even happen on the first round of voting. His expressed confidence comes after Trump issued his own stark warning to Republican lawmakers considering a vote against Johnson. 

The 78-year-old president-elect said on New Year's Eve that he believes Johnson will get enough votes from Republicans after he endorsed the speaker on Monday. 'I think we're going to have a great time in Washington, and I think we're going to get great support,' Trump claimed. The president-elect warned that Johnson is the one who can 'win right now' and argued 'people like him.'

During his remarks, Trump said there are others who he said would be good too, but he pointed out that they have '30 to 40 people who don't like them.' But Republicans have faced chaos electing their leadership in recent years as members have used their vote in an attempt to extract promises with such a small majority.

In January 2023, voting went 15 ballots before GOP lawmakers elected Speaker Kevin McCarthy. He was ousted that October without a clear replacement, and multiple candidates came forward before Johnson emerged from relative obscurity as someone who could get the necessary support.