It turns out President-elect Trump was more instrumental in securing House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) position than simply giving some endorsements on social media.
During the first round of voting, three GOP lawmakers refused to vote for Johnson to remain as Speaker and instead backed other candidates. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Keith Self (R-TX) had refused to support the Speaker during the first round.
Massie had already declared that he would not vote for Johnson, referring to him as “the next Paul Ryan.”
This meant that Self and Norman were the only holdouts that could possibly be swayed. This is where Trump came in.
Both lawmakers reportedly spoke with Trump by phone call on Friday afternoon after the first round of votes were taken, according to The Hill. Norman told the news outlet by text message that “TRUMP WAS GREAT !!”
In a post on X, Self noted that his “sole focus was advancing the Trump agenda,” and he “expressed concerns to Speaker Johnson about fiscal responsibility and holding the line on deficit spending—key priorities for my constituents.”
After receiving firm assurances from the Speaker, that Republicans in the House will have strong representation during the budget reconciliation process—a cornerstone of President Trump’s agenda—I changed my initial vote.
I appreciate Speaker Johnson addressing these critical issues.
Let’s get to work!
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RE: Speaker’s Vote
— Rep. Keith Self (@RepKeithSelf) January 3, 2025
My sole focus was advancing the Trump agenda. To ensure this, I expressed concerns to Speaker Johnson about fiscal responsibility and holding the line on deficit spending—key priorities for my constituents.
After receiving firm assurances from the Speaker,…
Johnson could only afford to lose one vote to remain as Speaker. With Massie unwilling to budge, Self and Norman made the difference – with a little prodding from Trump, of course.
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