Three House Republicans Defy Trump in First 2025 Test of His ‘Mandate’

In the first test of President-elect Donald Trump’s “mandate” over a unified Republican Party, three House Republicans defied him by voting against Speaker Mike Johnson, who Trump endorsed to serve another term as speaker.

Why It Matters

Over the past decade, Trump has become the undeniable leader of the Republican Party, transforming it into his brand of politics on issues like immigration, foreign policy and the economy. But Friday’s vote suggests that his grip on conservative lawmakers may not be absolute as he enters his second term, as several were willing to vote against his pick to lead the House.

What to Know

Trump doubled down on his support for Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, in a post to Truth Social Friday morning.

“Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support. A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!!” he wrote.

But that support wasn’t enough to help Johnson secure a victory on the first vote, as the following Republicans bucked Trump’s endorsement by going against Johnson: Representativea Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas.

Still, the vast majority of the chamber’s Republicans sided with their leader, voting in favor of Johnson keeping his gavel. The vote reflects the complexities of navigating such a small majority for the GOP, as leadership aims to placate both the party’s most conservative members as well as moderates representing competitive districts.

Six other holdouts declined to vote for Johnson when their name was first read, but ultimately backed Johnson at the end of the roll call.

All Democrats voted in favor of Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the New York Democrat who serves as House Minority Leader.

Johnson sparked the ire of some Republicans last month by introducing a temporarily spending bill opposed by some fiscal conservatives over what they viewed as excess spending.

He faced difficult math, needing 218 votes to remain speaker. Republicans hold 219 seats in the House (with one vacancy in the seat previously held by former Representative Matt Gaetz, who resigned late last year), meaning he needed to win all but one GOP votes without any Democratic support.

Just before the vote, Johnson took to X to outline commitments to conservative lawmakers, including to create a working group to work with Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency and committtes to recommend spending reforms, task that group with reviewing existing audits of federal agencies.

He also said he would request House committes untertake “aggressive authorizations and appropriations reviews, including providing additional resources where needed, to expose irresponsible or illegal practices and hold agencies/individuals accountable that have weaponized government against the American people.”

What People Are Saying

Thomas Massie on X: “I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan. We’ve seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget.”

Mike Johnson to CNN earlier Friday: “My simple message to my colleagues is, make suggestions about process improvements, we’re open to that at all times. But I don’t make deals with anyone. There’s no quid pro quo here. I don’t do anything in exchange for a vote.”

Hakeem Jeffries on MSNBC: “There will be no Democrats available to save him or the extreme MAGA Republicans from themselves based on the breaching of a bipartisan agreement that reflected priorities that were good for the American people.”

Maggie Haberman, New York Times White House correspondent: “The vote is yet another test of Mr. Trump’s ability to hold together a fractious House Republican Conference with an extraordinarily thin majority.”

Democratic Strategist Maria Cardona on CNN: “I do think that his hold on the MAGA world isn’t as strong as before, because let’s also remember, he’s a lame duck president. He is not running again. He can’t run again.”

What Happens Next

The speaker race will now go to a second ballot as Johnson seeks to win over his detractors.

The House’s official business will be halted until a speaker can be chosen. Congress is set to certify President-elect Donald Trump’s victory on Monday, meaning they must pick a speaker by then to avoid any delays.