Trump says he's with Mike Johnson "all the way"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) speaks at a Trump rally on Oct. 27, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photo by Sacha Lecca/Rolling Stone via Getty Images)
President-elect Trump threw his unbridled support behind Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), calling him a "tremendous guy" during a closed-door meeting of House Republicans on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Trump's full-throated endorsement, delivered just ahead of internal GOP leadership elections, will likely tamp down the possibility of Johnson defectors — both in the conference vote and during the full floor vote in January.
- "Mike Johnson, tremendous guy, I'm with him all the way," Trump said, according to two sources in the room.
- Johnson and Trump have shared a close relationship, with the speaker previously telling Axios he anticipated the president-elect's support if a leadership challenge emerged.
Zoom in: Trump also addressed House Republicans' concerns about the impact his cabinet appointments are having on what will likely be a very narrow GOP majority, according to multiple members who were present.
- "He kind of jokingly said, you know, 'I'd appoint 15 of you, but I can't, because then you'd be in the minority,'" said Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.).
- Members took that to be an indication that Trump is conscious of the impact of appointing Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as ambassador to the United Nations and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) as national security advisor.
The intrigue: The president-elect was accompanied by Elon Musk, who has emerged as one of his closest confidants — even attending Cabinet-selection sessions in Trump's makeshift Situation Room.
- Members said Musk did not speak in the meeting but was the subject of effusive praise from Trump for his intelligence and his work for the campaign.
Zoom out: Conservative hardliners had discussed posting a challenger to Johnson but ultimately did not emerge from a Tuesday night meeting with a candidate.
- Critics are still expected to ask for a roll call vote Wednesday on Johnson's nomination as they look to flex their muscle ahead of January, when Republicans will control both chambers of Congress and the White House.
- Conservative firebrands successfully squeezed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for rules changes, putting him through 15 rounds of floor votes to become speaker in January of 2022 before ousting him in October of 2023.
- Trump's full support could help Johnson avoid a similar fate to his predecessor as he navigates the disparate factions of his conference.
The big picture: Johnson is currently running unopposed, but he will need to retain support to keep his gavel during the January floor vote.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
