Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson secured back-to-back terms as House speaker on Friday after President-elect Donald Trump intervened to pressure GOP holdouts.
Trump began Friday prior to the speakership vote by calling House Republicans who were shaky or undecided on Johnson serving another term as speaker. By the time of the vote, only three holdouts remained, one of which, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, had already been tallied as a loss by the Trump team.
The other two holdouts, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas, agreed to switch their votes and support Johnson after a phone meeting with Trump, according to Fox News’ Chad Pergram.
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace huddled Norman and Self in a phone meeting with Trump where the president-elect pushed them to support Johnson, arguing that extending the speakership fight would be “disrespectful to Americans.”…
