Following a fierce 22-day competition, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was selected as the next Speaker of the US House of Representatives. Prominent GOP officials participated in the exhilarating selection process, and former President Donald Trump provided feedback.
As stated by Trump on Wednesday, “I just want to congratulate Mike Johnson. He will be a great Speaker of the House, and we were very happy to help. I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a tremendous leader. He’s a tremendous man.”
“He comes from a wonderful place, Louisiana … He’s going to be a great speaker – I think you’re going to be very proud of him,” he finished.
It is a momentous day for the Republican Party when Johnson is elected speaker since it is the first unanimous pick since John Boehner in 2011. Standing ovations and cheers for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other well-known GOP lawmakers broke out in the audience.
The paths taken by Johnson and McCarthy to become Speaker were marked by unexpected turns.
Tom Emmer (R-MN) pulled out of the contest following harsh criticism from Trump and his own party. Concurrently, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) found it difficult to get the backing of traditional Republicans.
REVEALED: The 3 reasons you should NEVER use Vegetable Oils…
There were eight contenders in the opening round of voting for Emmer’s replacement. The eventual front-runners were Johnson, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), and latecomer Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Donalds backed Johnson’s nomination wholeheartedly.
