Recently elected House Speaker, Mike Johnson (R-La.), has voiced his endorsement for former president Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, the first endorsement from a top-ranking Republican.
What Happened: As disclosed on Tuesday by CNN, Johnson formally endorsed Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. He displayed his strong support for Trump, predicting that the ex-president would be the Republican nominee and expressed confidence in his potential victory.
“I'm all in for President Trump, I expect he'll be our nominee, and he's going to win it, and we have to make [Joe Biden] a one-term president. We have to do that," said Johnson, according to the report.
Unlike his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Johnson has not hesitated in openly endorsing Trump’s third presidential campaign. Johnson identifies himself as “one of the closest allies that President Trump had in Congress,” and has lauded Trump’s previous term in office.
While Johnson has consistently supported Trump, including voting in favor of the objection to electoral votes and serving on Trump's impeachment team, his backing has not been without controversy. On the same day as his endorsement, The New York Times highlighted a past Facebook post from Johnson in 2015, in which he referred to Trump as a “hot-head” and questioned his moral character.
Despite Trump's contentious claims about the 2020 election, Johnson defended his endorsement. He justified it by stating that Trump truly believes the election was stolen and it was not an attempt to seize power.
Why It Matters: Johnson’s endorsement of Trump follows his recent election as Speaker of the House, a position Trump claimed he had influence over.
Johnson’s election marked the end of weeks of leadership turmoil in the House, with many anticipating more stable leadership under Johnson.
However, his election and recent endorsement of Trump have sparked criticism. Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, accused Johnson of being a tool through which Trump is “actively engineering a coup.”
Photo Courtesy: Lev Radin On Shutterstock.com
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