On Friday, January 3, in the final moments of the first round of voting for the Speaker of the House, two Republican representatives who initially did not support Mike Johnson changed their votes, leading to Johnson’s successful reelection. Sources revealed that just before the two representatives changed their stance, Trump had a phone conversation with them.
Before the Friday vote, Johnson was mentally prepared for the possibility of multiple rounds of elections in the House. He expressed confidence in gaining enough votes to retain the position of Speaker, stating that even if multiple rounds of voting were needed, he would persevere.
In the initial round of voting, Johnson initially lost the support of Republican representatives Thomas Massie, Ralph Norman, and Keith Self. These three individuals cast their votes for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Representatives Jim Jordan, and Byron Donalds respectively.
With 219 Republican and 215 Democratic representatives voting, Johnson needed at least 218 votes for reelection. All Democratic representatives voted for Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. Losing the support of three Republican representatives in the first round meant Johnson still could not secure reelection and would need further rounds of voting.
At a crucial moment just before the first round of voting ended, Norman and Self were seen entering a side room with Johnson and others. Minutes later, after Norman and Self reappeared in the House chamber, they requested to change their votes and support Johnson instead, leading to Johnson reaching 218 votes and securing his reelection.
Multiple media outlets cited sources revealing that Trump directly spoke with Norman and Self at this critical moment. Two sources told Fox News that Representative Nancy Mace called Trump to connect him with Norman and Self. Mace did not comment on the matter.
Norman and Self confirmed to The Hill that after initially not supporting Johnson in the first round of voting, they both had conversations with Trump.
Norman said that after discussions with Trump and Johnson, he ultimately changed his mind. He received assurances during the conversation that things would change.
“We had a good discussion. We talked with President Trump,” Norman said. “I never know how things are going to unfold, I don’t know how people are going to vote, and we came together, and Mike assured us that he would fight for things we believe are important for this country.”
“Trump is amazing!!” Norman texted The Hill.
Self stated on social media platform X that after receiving assurances from Johnson regarding fiscal responsibility, he changed his voting stance.
“My sole focus is advancing Trump’s agenda. To ensure that, I expressed concerns to Speaker Johnson about fiscal responsibility and maintaining a stance on controlling deficit spending – a critical priority for constituents in my district.”
“After receiving the Speaker’s firm assurances, confirming that House Republicans will have strong representation in the budget reconciliation process – a cornerstone of President Trump’s agenda – I changed my initial vote,” Self said.
“I thank Speaker Johnson for addressing these crucial issues,” he continued. “Let’s get to work!”
After Johnson’s reelection, Trump congratulated him and praised Johnson as “a great Speaker who will benefit our country.”
Although Johnson won reelection, challenges remain. Eleven hardline Republican members, including Norman, shortly after the Friday vote sent a letter to Republican colleagues stating they still hold “sincere reservations” about Johnson.
“Today, we voted to support Mike Johnson’s run for Speaker of the House because we firmly support President Trump and ensure his electoral votes are certified in a timely manner,” they wrote.
Republican Representative Andy Biggs stated that without Trump’s support, Johnson could not have been successful in winning the Speaker position. Biggs also expressed concerns about Johnson leading the House but added that Trump’s support was taken into consideration.
“I have some concerns, but President Trump said he wants to work with Johnson, basically – basically, we took that into consideration,” Biggs said as he left the House chamber.