Donald Trump and Elon Musk want Mike Johnson (R-LA) to remain speaker. Will that be enough to get him over the hump on January 3?
|
Listen To This Story
 |
A messy fight for House speaker could throw a (minor) wrench in the certification of Electoral College votes on January 6, and a major one in all other business of the House of Representatives.
In order to avoid this kind of chaos at the start of the all-GOP reign in Washington next year, and to ensure that Congress can work on their agenda right away, Elon Musk and Donald Trump both endorsed current Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to continue serving in that role.
Musk’s endorsement carries a lot of weight among House Republicans. Before Christmas, he torpedoed a deal Johnson had negotiated with Democratic leaders to keep the government open.
However, because it included a bunch of provisions the billionaire owner of the social media platform X objected to (including several that he made up), Republicans then scrapped that agreement and, with the help of Democratic votes, passed another funding bill.
Before that new legislation was voted on, Johnson made sure to check in with both of his bosses first.
Even though Trump did not get what he wanted in that spending fight, i.e., an elimination of the debt ceiling, he also continues to hold great sway over House Republicans.
Which is why his full-throated (albeit meandering) endorsement of Johnson ahead of the speaker vote may just turn the tide in the Louisiana Republican’s favor.
“LET’S NOT BLOW THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration,” Trump stated. “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!”
The president-elect’s benefactor agreed.
“I feel the same way!” Musk stated. “You [meaning Johnson] have my full support.”
In Trump’s case, the endorsement (like anything else he does) is self-serving. Without a speaker, the House cannot conduct any business, which, in theory, also includes the January 6 certification of Trump’s election.
However, there seem to be plenty of workarounds that would not gum up the works too much since that process is merely ceremonial (which is probably news to the hundreds of Trump supporters who have been convicted for the roles they played in the storming of the Capitol during the January 6, 2021, insurrection).
Musk, of course, is unelected and does not derive his power from the Constitution but rather from his immense wealth and ownership of X, formerly known as Twitter.
Johnson knows what the endorsements are worth.
“Thank you, President Trump! I’m honored and humbled by your support, as always,” he stated. “Together, we will quickly deliver on your America First agenda and usher in the new golden age of America. The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let’s get to work!”
It remains to be seen whether Johnson will be able to get to work because in spite of Musk’s endorsement, and that of Trump, his vote to become Speaker will still be a very close call.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has already indicated that he would not support Johnson, and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) presented a list of demands that would need to be met before she will vote for him.
In addition, a handful of other GOP lawmakers, most of them budget hawks, are also on the fence.
Johnson can only afford to lose three Republicans or he will not be able to win the required majority.
In his Navigating the Insanity columns, Klaus Marre provides the kind of hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and often humorous analysis you won’t find anywhere else.
