

WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump was crucial to House Speaker-elect Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) victory on the first round of voting, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told reporters after the vote.
Near the end of the first, and only, round of voting for the speaker—a task the House must perform before members can be sworn in—Johnson seemed poised to fall short of the 218 votes he needed, despite Trump’s support for his bid.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) (L) speaks with Reps. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) (C) and Keith Self (R-Texas) as the House votes for Speaker of the House on the first day of the 119th Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 3, 2025. Win McNamee/Getty Images

By Joseph Lord