Mike Johnson was again elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives.Johnson had to face tough opposition to become speaker.Trump intervened and helped Johnson become speaker.
Washington: Donald Trump has been elected as the 47th President of America. He will take oath on January 20 and will then stay at the White House, the official residence of the President. Trump is appointing his men for his new term. Meanwhile, Republican Mike Johnson was re-elected as the speaker of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the US Parliament, on Friday. He had Trump’s full support. However this success was not without some controversies.
According to BBC report, to be voted for the Speaker, it is necessary for the candidate to get the support of majority of the House – 218 votes. But because the Republican majority in the House was so slim, Johnson could face opposition from only two Republicans. Johnson already faced a resounding “no” from Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie. Major Republican opponents withdrew their votes for Johnson at the last minute. House Speaker Johnson said he made no promises to his opponents Keith Self and Ralph Norman about overturning their votes.
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Sources told CNN that it was Donald Trump who convinced opposition delegates to vote for Johnson on the first ballot to ensure victory. In fact, Johnson worked with Democrats to pass the law, which angered some Republicans. It took tense negotiations to ensure his victory, with many Republicans questioning his leadership.
Trump’s 3 MPs played the game
During early voting, three of those undecided Republicans voted for other lawmakers instead of Johnson, falling short of the 218 votes. Three lawmakers – Massey, Congressman Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Congressman Keith Self of Texas – named other choices to serve as the next speaker. Due to this, Johnson fled the House and lobbied the members to support him. About 45 minutes later, they returned to the House chamber. Both Norman and Self changed their votes to support Johnson. The hammer fell and Johnson won re-election.
After the election, Norman told reporters that he changed his vote after talking to Johnson in a room outside the House chamber. If Johnson had lost, this defeat would have been another embarrassment for Trump. If Johnson did not get Trump’s support, his position could have been weakened. Because some moderate Republicans began to consider other options. This is the first time in 100 years that a speaker has been elected with such a small margin.
Tags: America News, Donald Trump
FIRST PUBLISHED: January 4, 2025, 08:00 IST
