The Effort to Find a New Speaker Continues
As the race for House Speaker continues, the conservative members of the House are rallying behind their newest nominee, Rep. Mike Johnson.
After a tumultuous month that saw the unexpected ousting of Rep. Kevin McCarthy and the withdrawal of two other potential nominees, the Republicans have finally settled on a candidate they can all support.
Johnson, a hardline conservative from Louisiana, won the party's nomination on Tuesday night after multiple rounds of voting. The House is now set to cast their votes for Speaker on Wednesday afternoon, and it looks like Johnson has a strong chance of coming out on top.
The chaotic battle for the gavel has dragged on for weeks, with various candidates being nominated and then dropping out due to lack of support or controversial past actions. Former President Donald Trump, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, congratulated Johnson and the other nominees for their efforts.
However, Trump made it clear that he would not be making an endorsement in the race because he couldn't choose between such "fine and talented" men who have all shown their support for him.
The House is set to vote Wednesday for a speaker candidate -- the fourth nominee this month after the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy. This time it's Rep. Mike Johnson, a hard-liner who won his party's nomination Tuesday night. (ABC News)
But despite the division within the party, the House Republicans stand united behind Johnson. This was evident when reporters were invited into the room where the members were huddling before the nomination.
When one reporter asked Johnson about his vote to overturn the 2020 election results, some members booed and others even told her to "shut up" and "go away." Johnson himself redirected the conversation back to the unity of the party and refused to engage in policy discussions.
In the end, Johnson's message of party unity resonated with his colleagues. In the third round of voting, his vote total jumped to 128, securing him the nomination. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy came in second with 43 votes, and Rep. Byron Donalds came in third with 29.
“I’m feeling good partly because I’m back on my feet but mostly because Jim Jordan will not be speaker of the House,” Colbert cracked in his monologue, setting up a fresh round of gags at the Republican congressman’s expense. (CBS)
Meanwhile, there was relief among some Democrats, particularly late-night host Stephen Colbert, who returned to his show after battling COVID-19 last week. He joked about feeling better "mostly because Jim Jordan will not be speaker of the House."
Jordan, a controversial figure within the party, was forced to withdraw from the race after several failed attempts at securing the nomination. Colbert poked fun at his defeat and referenced the ongoing sexual abuse allegations against Jordan from his time as a college wrestling coach.
READ MORE:
Despite the drama and division, Johnson's victory has brought a sense of unity to the Republican party.
And as they head into the final vote for Speaker, they are confident that they have found a strong leader in Johnson who will continue to fight for their conservative values and support former President Trump's agenda.