House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., narrowly retained the gavel in a nail-biting vote on Friday afternoon.
Republicans anxious to swear in President-elect Trump later this month and capitalize on their control of the House, Senate, and White House averted a repeat of the previous two drawn-out speaker elections.
After some bickering between Trump and Johnson, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the lone Republican to buck leadership and vote against Johnson.
Here are the key moments from the first vote of the 119th Congress:
- Five Republicans decline to vote, and three vote against Johnson.
Johnson appeared to be on his way to loss when five Republicans sat silently as the clerk announced their names for a vote. Three other Republican representatives voted against Johnson: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, and Keith Self of Texas.
Massie voted for House Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.; Norman for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Self for Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.
At the conclusion of the vote, the names of those who refused to vote on the first mention were called again. Reps. Andy Harris (R-Md.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), and Chip Roy (R-Texas) all voted for Johnson.
- Trump addresses two GOP defectors.
Trump subsequently called Norman and Self and persuaded them to flip their votes to Johnson, both congressman told AWN Digital.
According to two people who spoke with AWN Digital, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., linked Trump with Self and Norman via phone after they voted against Johnson.
Mace declined to comment, but AWN Digital witnessed her and Johnson hugging on the House floor after they and others were in the side room with the holdouts.
Mace was also spotted having heated discussions with Norman off the House floor earlier.
Massie was adamant; he had long concluded that Johnson was not the proper guy for the job. But Johnson could only afford to lose one vote and retain the gavel.
Johnson huddled with Self and Norman. While determining how to proceed, House leaders did not formally end the vote.
- Self and Norman changed their votes.
About an hour after voting for others, the two defectors switched votes, granting Johnson’s wish.
Self stated that he shifted his vote in order to advance “the Trump agenda.”
“The Trump agenda is the most essential. The Trump agenda is most critical, and we must strengthen processes in the House to ensure that we have the strongest negotiating team for the upcoming reconciliation deal. So, once again, this was all about making the Trump agenda a success,” Self explained.
Norman claimed he spoke with Trump, but was eventually persuaded to change his mind after Johnson promised to create “real change.”
The candidate “just made his point about how Mike is the only one who could get elected,” according to Norman.
He claimed Johnson did not give him a bribe, but rather “a commitment that things are going to change.”
