Johnson Emerges Victorious in Speakership Contest; Challenges Lie Ahead
Conservatives indicate that their support for Johnson is merely a temporary ceasefire.
TroibNews 
Mike Johnson successfully sidestepped a prolonged speakership battle on Friday, but challenges lie ahead.
While Johnson garnered enough support to retain his position on the first ballot—thanks in part to two members switching their votes after further lobbying and discussions with President-elect Donald Trump—the aftermath made it clear that conservatives view this as a fragile ceasefire.
Hardliners have set specific expectations for the speaker and have indicated that they may pursue a vote to oust him if he fails to meet them. A new rules package stipulates that nine GOP members must support an ouster vote, an increase from the previous threshold of one.
“It's always going to be there. I think our founders wanted it there for a reason as a check,” stated Rep. Eli Crane, who played a role in Kevin McCarthy's ouster last year. When asked if a motion to vacate was a possibility, he replied, “I really hope it never has to be used again. But we'll see.”
Nevertheless, Johnson’s backers hope that the dynamics of this speaker race may foreshadow a more united front among Republicans on party priorities, despite any ensuing chaos. They find encouragement in Trump’s ongoing support for Johnson, particularly his willingness to lobby members and keep them aligned with leadership.
“I just hope President Trump pounds them into submission,” noted Rep. Don Bacon.
Regardless of these dynamics, the recent speakership episode serves as a wake-up call regarding the challenges Johnson will face in the coming years. His majority is likely to decrease soon, as some members depart for positions in the Trump administration, leaving him with little room for defections on partisan legislation. He will require near-total agreement to advance Trump’s agenda on issues such as border control, energy, and taxes. Should he seek Democratic support for essential measures like spending legislation now that the GOP controls Congress, he risks inciting a backlash from party hardliners.
Criticism of Johnson is already surfacing. Eleven members of the Freedom Caucus—who make up the group’s board—sent a letter to all colleagues as soon as Johnson was declared speaker. The letter outlined expectations they hold for Johnson, emphasizing priorities such as reducing inflation and banning stock trading by members of Congress.
They also included an implicit critique of Johnson’s leadership, asserting that “there is always room to negotiate on so-called ‘leadership’ positions under the rules.”
Rep. Andy Ogles, a co-signer of the letter, downplayed the notion that it served as a warning: “It is what it is.” He acknowledged, “It’s there for a reason. It’s about accountability. Mike has laid out a plan and a vision and now he’s got to execute it. And if he doesn’t, you have … some members that will be willing to pull the pin on the hand grenade.”
Rep. Chip Roy, who had withheld his support for Johnson until the actual vote, dismissed inquiries about the motion to vacate immediately following the speaker's victory but hinted at potential “consequences” if Congress fails to act on certain priorities.
“Let’s make no mistake about it. There will be things that are, in fact, red lines that we need to deliver. We can have no more of the nonsense that happened before Christmas,” Roy asserted.
These warnings echo past experiences from the McCarthy era. Although the former speaker secured his post after 15 ballots, just ten months later, eight Republicans joined Democrats in forcing him out. Many rebels cited government funding issues as a key factor, although McCarthy's allies believe some had personal grievances.
Johnson appears to have a more collaborative relationship with his right flank compared to McCarthy, given his established reputation as a conservative prior to assuming the speakership. Following a failed ouster attempt against him last May, he spent the latter part of the year working to bolster ties with hardline conservatives, largely focusing his conference on GOP messaging bills and supporting the re-election efforts of fellow members.
“We don’t want to sound the alarm. This is not what it was after Speaker McCarthy was vacated. That situation has built lines of communication because we don’t want to go through that again,” remarked Rep. Derrick Van Orden.
This report includes contributions from Jennifer Scholtes and Nicholas Wu.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
While Johnson garnered enough support to retain his position on the first ballot—thanks in part to two members switching their votes after further lobbying and discussions with President-elect Donald Trump—the aftermath made it clear that conservatives view this as a fragile ceasefire.
Hardliners have set specific expectations for the speaker and have indicated that they may pursue a vote to oust him if he fails to meet them. A new rules package stipulates that nine GOP members must support an ouster vote, an increase from the previous threshold of one.
“It's always going to be there. I think our founders wanted it there for a reason as a check,” stated Rep. Eli Crane, who played a role in Kevin McCarthy's ouster last year. When asked if a motion to vacate was a possibility, he replied, “I really hope it never has to be used again. But we'll see.”
Nevertheless, Johnson’s backers hope that the dynamics of this speaker race may foreshadow a more united front among Republicans on party priorities, despite any ensuing chaos. They find encouragement in Trump’s ongoing support for Johnson, particularly his willingness to lobby members and keep them aligned with leadership.
“I just hope President Trump pounds them into submission,” noted Rep. Don Bacon.
Regardless of these dynamics, the recent speakership episode serves as a wake-up call regarding the challenges Johnson will face in the coming years. His majority is likely to decrease soon, as some members depart for positions in the Trump administration, leaving him with little room for defections on partisan legislation. He will require near-total agreement to advance Trump’s agenda on issues such as border control, energy, and taxes. Should he seek Democratic support for essential measures like spending legislation now that the GOP controls Congress, he risks inciting a backlash from party hardliners.
Criticism of Johnson is already surfacing. Eleven members of the Freedom Caucus—who make up the group’s board—sent a letter to all colleagues as soon as Johnson was declared speaker. The letter outlined expectations they hold for Johnson, emphasizing priorities such as reducing inflation and banning stock trading by members of Congress.
They also included an implicit critique of Johnson’s leadership, asserting that “there is always room to negotiate on so-called ‘leadership’ positions under the rules.”
Rep. Andy Ogles, a co-signer of the letter, downplayed the notion that it served as a warning: “It is what it is.” He acknowledged, “It’s there for a reason. It’s about accountability. Mike has laid out a plan and a vision and now he’s got to execute it. And if he doesn’t, you have … some members that will be willing to pull the pin on the hand grenade.”
Rep. Chip Roy, who had withheld his support for Johnson until the actual vote, dismissed inquiries about the motion to vacate immediately following the speaker's victory but hinted at potential “consequences” if Congress fails to act on certain priorities.
“Let’s make no mistake about it. There will be things that are, in fact, red lines that we need to deliver. We can have no more of the nonsense that happened before Christmas,” Roy asserted.
These warnings echo past experiences from the McCarthy era. Although the former speaker secured his post after 15 ballots, just ten months later, eight Republicans joined Democrats in forcing him out. Many rebels cited government funding issues as a key factor, although McCarthy's allies believe some had personal grievances.
Johnson appears to have a more collaborative relationship with his right flank compared to McCarthy, given his established reputation as a conservative prior to assuming the speakership. Following a failed ouster attempt against him last May, he spent the latter part of the year working to bolster ties with hardline conservatives, largely focusing his conference on GOP messaging bills and supporting the re-election efforts of fellow members.
“We don’t want to sound the alarm. This is not what it was after Speaker McCarthy was vacated. That situation has built lines of communication because we don’t want to go through that again,” remarked Rep. Derrick Van Orden.
This report includes contributions from Jennifer Scholtes and Nicholas Wu.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
