Speaker Johnson Shares Big News Before Trump’s Election Certification

On Thursday, Speaker Mike Johnson expressed optimism regarding his chances in the upcoming House Speaker vote scheduled for Friday.

“We’re going to get this done. I’m humbled and honored to have President Trump’s endorsement for the role again,” Johnson said during an appearance on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”

When co-host Griff Jenkins asked about Johnson’s confidence going into the vote, he replied, “We’re going to get this done. Look, I’m humbled and honored to have President Trump’s endorsement for the role again, as well as the endorsement of leaders across the conservative spectrum and the Republican Party, all of my colleagues that are standing with us.”

Johnson highlighted the critical challenges facing the nation, referencing recent events like the New Orleans New Year’s Day attack.

“And we will get this done. Look, the things that we’re talking about this morning are an illustration that we live in very serious times. We cannot afford any palace drama here. We have got to get the Congress started, which begins tomorrow, and we have to get immediately to work. We have to certify the election of President Donald J. Trump on January 6th, on Monday,” Johnson stated.

He emphasized the urgency of uniting the party to address pressing issues, saying, “And we have many important things pressing on us right now. So there’s no time to waste. We have to stay unified. The American people gave us a mandate, you know. President Trump got 77 million votes. We got almost 75 million for House Republicans, the largest number ever. And they have sent us a message that they want us to begin fixing all of this, and we will. And we’re excited to do that.”

While Johnson enjoys broad support among Republicans, he faces challenges with the slim GOP majority. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has declared he won’t back Johnson, reducing his available votes to 218. The GOP currently holds a 219-215 edge, meaning Johnson can afford to lose only one or two votes.

Texas Rep. Chip Roy has yet to declare his position, further complicating the situation. However, Johnson received a significant boost with President Trump’s endorsement.

If certain members opt to vote present, Johnson’s path may become easier. For example, should Roy vote present and all other Republicans, except Massie, support Johnson, he would secure the Speakership with a majority of 217 votes in a scenario with 233 members voting.

Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Calif.), are expected to cast their 215 votes for him. Any absences among Democrats could also influence the outcome.

“It’s a numbers game. We have the smallest margin in U.S. history,” Johnson acknowledged. “We’ll have a margin of probably two votes tomorrow during that, so [I] can only afford to lose one or two.”

Despite the tight margins, Johnson remains optimistic. “But I think we’ll get it done,” he concluded. “I really do.”