On Friday, the newly elected House of Representatives in the US Congress re-elected former President Mike Johnson as Speaker. Supported by President Donald Trump, Johnson clinched victory after a tense vote.
The Louisiana congressman initially received 216 votes, edging out Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries by just one vote. The decision was delayed by two votes until Johnson finally secured a simple majority.
Early on, three Republican congressmen had resisted supporting Johnson, casting their votes for other candidates. However, after lengthy negotiations, two of them reversed course, ultimately backing him. The vote came during the first session of the House following the November elections, which saw Republicans retain their majority, though they lost two seats to the Democrats, leaving the House with 219 Republican seats to 215 Democrat seats.
What was typically a ceremonial day, marked by new congressmembers taking the oath surrounded by family and friends, turned into a closely watched spectacle as lawmakers voted for the powerful position of Speaker of the House.
