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Mike Johnson lost the first ballot to be speaker, but he kept the vote open, met with his opposition, and got them to change their votes.
Mike Johnson now appears to have the votes to win the speakership after the first round of ballots. Three Republicans initially defected from Johnson before he briefly met with them in the cloakroom.
Johnson ended up winning 218-215-1, but it was a hollow victory at best.
Speaker Johnson lost the first vote and had to scramble to rally support behind him.
There was no dramatic great comeback or Republicans unifying and rallying behind their guy. This was the far right showing Johnson that even after he changed the motion to vacate rules, there are still enough of them, nine in total, to make a move to oust the Speaker if he displeases them.
Even with Trump trying to assert himself, the House Republicans remain a dumpster fire of dysfunction.
Democrats should view today’s events as two-thirds of the Republican federal government leadership (Johnson and Trump) being weak and wounded.
There will be less motion to vacate drama in this Congress, but the struggle to pass the most basic and necessary legislation should be constant.
House Republicans and Trump will be able to do little without Democratic votes. Democrats may have more power than any party in the minority in both the House and Senate in modern American political history.
Trump and the Republicans will get an immigration bill and their tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, but avoiding a government shutdown in March and keeping the United States out of default both look like a long shot right now.
Mike Johnson didn’t win today. He survived, and just like Trump, his political career is on borrowed time.
What do you think about the House Republican chaos? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
