President-elect Donald Trump has continued to back House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after a fiery battle over passing a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.
Johnson has faced a barrage of criticisms from Republican lawmakers over his handling of the debacle. The backlash raised questions about whether he would retain his position as Speaker when Republican lawmakers cast their votes on Friday.
In a post on Truth Social, the president-elect celebrated GOP victories on Election Day while slamming Democrats for “having wasted 2.5 Billion Dollars, much of it unaccounted for, with some being used to illegally buy endorsements.”
Trump said “The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration” and that Johnson “is a good, hard working, religious man.”
“Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement,” the president-elect concluded.
The House passed a spending bill at the 11th hour on January 20, just before the government was set to shut down. Lawmakers pushed through a clean continuing resolution extending government funding until March. The bill included funds for disaster relief and a one-year farm bill extension.
In the leadup to the passage of the bill, there was a ferocious debate over issues such as pay raises for lawmakers and the debt ceiling. Trump sought to do away with the debt ceiling for the next two years, while Democrats balked at the suggestion. Republican lawmakers like Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) took issue with the lack of cuts to government spending in the measure.
Trump’s endorsement could not have come at a more critical time for Johnson, who is still facing criticism from conservatives and Republicans over his handling of the spending bill debate. The initial bill was lambasted by conservative lawmakers for its 1,547 pages of “pork” and several provisions that would expand the size and scope of the federal government.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) called it a “sad day for America,” while Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) sarcastically argued that the GOP should open an OnlyFans account “considering how often we get screwed.”
Nevertheless, Speaker Johnson defended the bill, arguing that it was necessary to avoid a shutdown. “We’ve got to get this done because… we are clearing the decks and setting up for Trump to come in,” he said.
More concerns were raised about Johnson’s ability to hold on to his position as Speaker when it was reported that Trump was having second thoughts about the lawmaker, given his performance during the spending debate.
While Johnson publicly claimed the president-elect was happy with the deal, insiders told a different story. One anonymous Trump ally said that Trump was “upset” because “he wanted the debt ceiling dealt with.”
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) slammed Johnson, saying he “dragged President Trump into this circus.”
Another insider said Team Trump has “questioned whether [Johnson has] been an honest broker” during the negotiations. “No one thinks he’s strong. No one says, ‘Damn, this guy’s a fighter,’” another Trump ally said.
With Trump’s continued endorsement, Johnson’s chances of remaining as Speaker have improved considerably. The president-elect’s backing likely holds more than enough currency to give Johnson another chance.
The Speaker can only afford to lose one Republican vote if he is to avoid being ousted. Massie has already vowed that he would not support Johnson. However, after Trump’s announcement, it is not clear whether other GOP lawmakers will be willing to go against the president-elect.
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