Trump-backed Mike Johnson elected House speaker after 22 days - live
New Speaker Mike Johnson is a hard-right Christian conservative opposed to LGBT+ and reproductive rights
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
House Republicans overwhelmingly elected Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be the next speaker of the House after 22 days where the House of Representatives had no leader amid turmoil across the globe and the need to pass spending bills next month.
Mr Johnson, the former deputy whip for House Republicans, won 220 votes on the floor after House Republicans coalesced around him on Tuesday evening. His ascent came after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer dropped out a mere four hours after the House Republican conference nominated him to be speaker.
Republicans from all factions of the conference cheered Mr Johnson and whistled on the floor, chanting his name.
After conservatives, led by former president Donald Trump, revolted against Mr Emmer, he removed himself from the running and after another contest, Mr Johnson emerged victorious.
A former attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, Mr Johnson is considered an arch-social conservative staunchly opposed to abortion. Earlier this year, he introduced legislation that would have made it illegal to transport a person under the age of 18 across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental notification.
‘Please tell President Trump'
Former president Donald Trump shared private texts between himself and short-lived Speaker of the House hopeful Congressman Chuck Fleischmann on Truth Social.
The text said the following:
“I’m in speaker race now
Please tell President Trump
Thanks
Five left
Voting now
All candidates now 100 percent trump
All 5
I preached Trump in my speech”
VIDEO: Donald Trump says he will ring and congratulate Mike Johnson on speakership
Biden unconcerned over House Speaker Mike Johnson’s election subversion record
President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he is not concerned that newly installed House Speaker Mike Johnson will attempt to unlawfully block him from serving a second term if he wins next year’s presidential election.
Mr Biden was asked about the possibility during a press conference alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the White House Rose Garden, just minutes after the House’s Republican majority voted unanimously to install Mr Johnson as successor to ousted former speaker Kevin McCarthy after a chaotic 22-day interregnum.
The Louisiana congressman was a staunch supporter of former president Donald Trump during the ex-president’s attempt to remain in office despite having lost the 2020 election. He frequently promoted outlandish conspiracy theories about non-existent voter fraud and rigged voting machines which Trump allies had floated to explain his loss, and marshalled House GOP support for a failed lawsuit that sought to have the US Supreme Court throw out electoral votes from swing states won by Mr Biden.
‘I understand the Constitution'
President Joe Biden told reporters he is not worried that Mr Johnson’s record presages how the new Speaker will act if he is in office when the 2024 election is certified following another victory over Mr Trump, who is currently the likely GOP presidential nominee despite facing more than 90 felony charges in four separate jurisdictions.
“Just like I was not worried about the last guy being able to overturn the election,” said the president, who added that Mr Trump’s legal team had a losing record of “about 60 lawsuits” during the period between the November 2020 election and 6 January 2021, the day a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in hopes of thwarting certification of the results.
“I understand the Constitution,” he added.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies