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Amid an upcoming vote to determine the next House Speaker, President-elect Donald Trump has offered his “complete and total endorsement” to Speaker Mike Johnson.

Some shit you should know before you read: At the start of every new Congress, the House of Representatives votes to elect a Speaker, one of the most powerful positions in government. Members nominate candidates, typically chosen by their respective party caucuses, and voting occurs in a roll-call format where each member publicly declares their choice. To secure the position, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast, which means at least 218 votes if all members are present and voting. If no candidate achieves the majority in the first round, the voting process continues with additional rounds until a Speaker is elected. Currently, the House sits at 219 Republicans vs 211 Democrats.

CAPITOL

Getting into it: In a last-minute endorsement, President-Elect Donald Trump threw his full support behind Speaker Mike Johnson, calling him a “hard-working, religious man.” He added, “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement.”

Despite Trump’s endorsement, Speaker Johnson faces significant challenges within his party, as he can only afford to lose a single Republican vote to secure re-election as Speaker. Key opposition comes from hardline conservatives, including Rep. Thomas Massie, who criticized Johnson’s bipartisan negotiations and his inability to meet certain GOP demands on the debt ceiling and government funding. Additionally, the House Freedom Caucus remains fractured, with no unified position.

Digging deeper: Some conservatives within the GOP are demanding that Speaker Mike Johnson take a harder stance on fiscal policy, particularly regarding the debt ceiling and government spending. They have expressed frustration over Johnson’s handling of recent funding negotiations, including his inability to meet President-elect Trump’s demand to raise the debt ceiling in a short-term deal. Instead, Johnson supported a GOP-led plan to pair a $1.5 trillion debt ceiling increase with $2.5 trillion in spending cuts, a move that some conservatives felt did not go far enough to curb government spending.  

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