Trump Confident Mike Johnson Will Retain Speakership
President-elect Donald Trump expressed strong confidence that House Speaker Mike Johnson will "easily remain speaker" in the next Congress, provided he takes a "decisive and tough" approach and steers clear of "the traps being set by Democrats" in upcoming spending legislation.
In an exclusive conversation with Fox News Digital on Thursday morning, Trump addressed the fallout from the bipartisan effort to avert a partial government shutdown, which ultimately failed. “Anyone who supports a bill that doesn’t resolve the Democrat quicksand of the debt ceiling should be primaried and swiftly replaced,” Trump stated.
Vice President-elect JD Vance also met with Speaker Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday evening to deliberate on a potential continuing resolution. The meeting, which lasted about an hour, was described by Vance as a “productive conversation.” He noted optimism about resolving key issues and pledged to “keep working on it.”
The debate over government spending has placed added scrutiny on the upcoming speaker vote. Johnson has faced challenges in maintaining unanimous support within his party, as noted by Fox News.
Despite these hurdles, President-elect Trump remains optimistic about Johnson’s prospects. “If the speaker acts decisively and tough and avoids all the traps set by Democrats, which would harm our country economically and otherwise, he will easily retain his position,” Trump told Fox News.
The vote to elect the House speaker is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2025.
A smaller version of a previously sprawling 1,500-page spending bill failed to pass on Thursday. Thirty-eight Republicans opposed the scaled-down legislation, which required a two-thirds majority but was defeated in a 174-235 vote. A two-thirds threshold was necessary to suspend the rules and pass the bill without committee approval.
Interestingly, two Democrats — Reps. Kathy Castor of Florida and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington — broke ranks to support the legislation, Fox News reported.
The failed vote came amid days of intra-party clashes over government spending, involving not just lawmakers but also prominent allies of Trump, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Meanwhile, the national debt has reached a staggering $36 trillion, with the deficit exceeding $1.8 trillion.
The new spending proposal, condensed to 116 pages compared to its predecessor’s 1,547 pages, incorporates key policies outside of government funding. It extends the funding deadline to March 14 and suspends the debt ceiling — a provision supported by Trump. Additionally, it includes $110 billion for disaster relief and extends the farm bill.
The clock is ticking, with a government shutdown looming at midnight Friday. It remains uncertain whether the GOP-controlled House can secure enough votes to pass a spending agreement.
On Thursday, Rep. Chip Roy, R-TX, delivered a fiery critique of his Republican colleagues, slamming their support for a bill that would significantly raise the debt ceiling.
“What we’re doing right now doubles down on what is destroying the Republic,” Roy said in a passionate speech on the House floor. “We’re going to increase the debt ceiling by $5 trillion — that’s the reality. And we’re adding $110 billion unpaid for in the same bill!”
Roy’s comments followed Trump’s sharp criticism on social media, accusing Roy of failing to align with party priorities. Responding on the House floor, Roy lambasted his fellow Republicans for betraying their fiscal responsibility promises.
“It’s embarrassing! It’s shameful!” Roy declared. “You campaign on fiscal responsibility, but then you pass $110 billion unpaid for and increase the debt by $5 trillion. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Roy’s remarks underscored deep divisions within the GOP over spending, as lawmakers struggle to navigate the budget impasse while adhering to their party’s fiscal principles.