Trump backs Mike Johnson for House Speaker
President-elect Trump has expressed his support for Rep. Johnson’s re-election in light of recent funding conflicts within the Republican party. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The president-elect has endorsed the congressman’s re-election amid ongoing Republican tensions regarding government spending.
President-elect Donald Trump has affirmed his support for House Speaker Mike Johnson's bid for another term during a time of discord among Republicans over recent spending decisions.
On Monday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to voice his endorsement, stating, “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man... Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement.”
In response, Johnson expressed his gratitude to Trump, saying, “The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let’s get to work!”
This endorsement comes on the heels of a heated debate over government funding that nearly resulted in a shutdown prior to Christmas. Johnson, who assumed the position of Speaker last October, faced scrutiny from some party members regarding his management of a bipartisan spending bill.
The bill ultimately failed to pass without notable Democratic backing and did not incorporate Trump’s proposal to raise the debt ceiling. It was also criticized by GOP members for lacking substantial spending cuts.
More conservative lawmakers opposed to the increase in the government’s borrowing limit diverged from Trump’s recommendation to support the bill. Democrats contended that the new legislation would primarily benefit wealthy individuals, leading to a heavier burden on working-class citizens.
The House is set to vote on the Speaker position on January 3. Johnson’s re-election hinges on near-unanimous backing from the Republican majority, as Congress cannot proceed with any business—including the certification of Trump’s electoral victory—until a Speaker is in place.
Some GOP members, such as Representative Thomas Massie, have voiced their concerns regarding Johnson’s leadership, especially in relation to fiscal policies.
“I’m not persuaded by the ‘hurry up and elect him so we can certify the election on J6’ argument,” Massie noted last week in a post on X. “A weak legislative branch, beholden to the swamp, will not be able to achieve the mandate voters gave Trump and Congress in November,” he added.
In the recent November elections, Democrats lost control of the Senate, with Republicans winning 53 out of 100 seats. Retaining authority in both legislative chambers is crucial for facilitating the passage of legislation that aligns with Trump’s controversial agenda, including immigration and economic policies.
Since February 2022, the US Congress has allocated over $174 billion to support Ukraine in its ongoing military conflict with Russia.
Johnson became Speaker in October after a faction of House Republicans voted to remove his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, due to his clandestine agreement with the White House regarding increased aid to Ukraine.
In September, Johnson criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to a Pennsylvania ammunition factory, labeling it "a clearly partisan campaign event" and "election interference." He subsequently wrote to Zelensky demanding the dismissal of Ukraine’s ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, for organizing the trip.
In October, Johnson remarked that he was increasingly opposed to further funding for Ukraine and expressed hope that it would become unnecessary if Trump were to win the presidential election.
“I don’t have an appetite for further Ukraine funding, and I hope it’s not necessary,” stated the Louisiana Republican to Punchbowl News. “If President Trump wins, I believe that he actually can bring that conflict to a close. I really do. I think he’ll call [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that this is enough.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
President-elect Donald Trump has affirmed his support for House Speaker Mike Johnson's bid for another term during a time of discord among Republicans over recent spending decisions.
On Monday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to voice his endorsement, stating, “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man... Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement.”
In response, Johnson expressed his gratitude to Trump, saying, “The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let’s get to work!”
This endorsement comes on the heels of a heated debate over government funding that nearly resulted in a shutdown prior to Christmas. Johnson, who assumed the position of Speaker last October, faced scrutiny from some party members regarding his management of a bipartisan spending bill.
The bill ultimately failed to pass without notable Democratic backing and did not incorporate Trump’s proposal to raise the debt ceiling. It was also criticized by GOP members for lacking substantial spending cuts.
More conservative lawmakers opposed to the increase in the government’s borrowing limit diverged from Trump’s recommendation to support the bill. Democrats contended that the new legislation would primarily benefit wealthy individuals, leading to a heavier burden on working-class citizens.
The House is set to vote on the Speaker position on January 3. Johnson’s re-election hinges on near-unanimous backing from the Republican majority, as Congress cannot proceed with any business—including the certification of Trump’s electoral victory—until a Speaker is in place.
Some GOP members, such as Representative Thomas Massie, have voiced their concerns regarding Johnson’s leadership, especially in relation to fiscal policies.
“I’m not persuaded by the ‘hurry up and elect him so we can certify the election on J6’ argument,” Massie noted last week in a post on X. “A weak legislative branch, beholden to the swamp, will not be able to achieve the mandate voters gave Trump and Congress in November,” he added.
In the recent November elections, Democrats lost control of the Senate, with Republicans winning 53 out of 100 seats. Retaining authority in both legislative chambers is crucial for facilitating the passage of legislation that aligns with Trump’s controversial agenda, including immigration and economic policies.
Since February 2022, the US Congress has allocated over $174 billion to support Ukraine in its ongoing military conflict with Russia.
Johnson became Speaker in October after a faction of House Republicans voted to remove his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, due to his clandestine agreement with the White House regarding increased aid to Ukraine.
In September, Johnson criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to a Pennsylvania ammunition factory, labeling it "a clearly partisan campaign event" and "election interference." He subsequently wrote to Zelensky demanding the dismissal of Ukraine’s ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, for organizing the trip.
In October, Johnson remarked that he was increasingly opposed to further funding for Ukraine and expressed hope that it would become unnecessary if Trump were to win the presidential election.
“I don’t have an appetite for further Ukraine funding, and I hope it’s not necessary,” stated the Louisiana Republican to Punchbowl News. “If President Trump wins, I believe that he actually can bring that conflict to a close. I really do. I think he’ll call [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that this is enough.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
