USA. Mike Johnson re-elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives

Mike Johnson's main rival, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, won 215 votes. The only “rebel” among the Republicans turned out to be Thomas Massie, who voted for Tom Emmer, third in the party hierarchy.

Despite initially lacking the required majority, Johnson ultimately won the vote. The key was negotiations with two congressmen, Keith Self and Ralph Norman, who had originally voted against him but changed their position.

READ ALSO – Johnson: I don't expect there will be any funding for Ukraine right now

Johnson later swore that he had not made any concessions to the “rebels”. Self, in turn, said that he and Norman had had a conversation with the president-elect in the meantime Donald Trump.

Trump has been a strong supporter of Johnson, reiterating that support on Friday before the vote and congratulating him afterward. “Mike will be a great president, and our country will benefit. The nation… has waited four years for common sense, strength and leadership. Now he will get it, and America will be greater than ever!” – he wrote on his Truth Social website.

Johnson announced that when he leads the 119th Congress, he intends to be guided by the “America First” principle, “abandon the status quo” and focus on securing the borders first. He also promised to drastically slim down the state apparatus and strengthen the armed forces, adding that he intends to “re-strike fear in the hearts of (our) enemies.”

“This is the most dangerous moment since World War II, and the entire world is looking to America and Congress to ensure the peace is maintained,” he said.

Despite Trump's support, Johnson was criticized by the extreme wing of the party for allegedly being profligate and repeatedly making compromises with Democrats on budget issues, as well as for getting the aid funds passed. Ukraine.

Just before the vote, Johnson publicly committed to appointing a special group of independent experts who would work with Elon Musk's DOGE commission to reduce budget spending and eliminate waste of funds. It was a gesture towards his critics who attacked him for excessive spending and budget compromises with Democrats.

As former interim Speaker of the House Patrick McHenry told CNN, he believed the votes against Johnson amounted to “marking of territory” by the most right-wing members of Congress. He also counted five other congressmen who initially refused to vote but ultimately voted for Johnson.

– I think the best analysis is to think of it as a dog marking its territory. “We have a group of Republicans in the House who are pissing on the nearest streetlights to say, 'We're in charge here,'” McHenry said.

Johnson, 52, a congressman from Louisiana, originally came to power in the House in October 2023 in a rebellion by the party's fringe wing against his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy.

He was then elected only after a record 15 rounds of voting and the defeats of three better-known candidates. At the turn of 2023 and 2024, the president withheld the package of funds to support Ukraine for half a year, but finally resigned. In December, he announced that he would follow President Trump's instructions in this matter.

Friday's vote and the subsequent swearing in of congressmen began the 119th term of Congress. Next Monday, both houses of parliament will officially approve the results of the presidential elections.

In the new Congress, Republicans currently have a four-vote advantage in the House of Representatives, 219-215, but their number of seats will be temporarily reduced to 217 after Mike Waltz (national security adviser) takes office in the new administration after January 20 USA) and Elise Stefanik (US ambassador to UN).

Republicans on Friday they also took control of the Senate, taking 53 of 100 seats. The new majority leader in the Senate is Senator John Thune from South Dakota.