House speaker fiasco: Republican Mike Johnson becomes FOURTH GOP nominee in ... trends now
Louisiana Republican Rep. Mike Johnson is the party's fourth choice for a speaker nominee, winning 128 votes in an internal conference ballot.
Johnson is the party's second nominee of the day after Whip Tom Emmer dropped out when 26 Republicans voted against him in an internal vote even after he became the nominee.
Johnson beat out Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who got 29 votes, and forty-four votes went to candidates who weren't even in the running: 43 for former speaker Kevin McCarthy and one for Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan.
Johnson can only afford to lose four Republican votes on the House floor and become the next speaker. Republicans now move to a roll call vote to see who is on record saying they will support Johnson now that he is the nominee.
Criticisms that have been floated for Johnson include that putting him in the speakership would give Louisiana two leadership spots, together with Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
Louisiana Republican Rep. Mike Johnson is the party's fourth choice for a speaker nominee, winning 128 votes in an internal conference ballot
They could also include his conservative voting record and the fact that he led an amicus brief signed by more than 100 Republicans to a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Johnson's nomination came as one idea circulating among Republicans was a joint speakership between former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and failed speaker nominee Jordan. Some Republicans balked at the idea.
'It does not exist in the Constitution,' said McCarthy supporter Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif.
'It's the worst idea I've ever heard,' said Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas.
House Republicans reached another new low on Tuesday as their latest nominee for speaker lasted just four hours - after Donald Trump called him a 'Globalist RINO.'
Majority Whip Tom Emmer became the latest victim of the Congressional GOP clown show as he withdrew from the running and upended the party's bid to install a speaker after 21 days.
The former hockey coach beat eight candidates to win the support of the majority of the conference in a closed-door ballot, but just hours later he was out.
There is still no end in sight to the farce that began three weeks ago when eight rebel Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy in a historic vote.
Congress remains paralyzed and can't pass any legislation until a speaker is elected.
Although he was elected the nominee, Emmer did not have enough support from fellow Republicans to get to the 217 votes needed for victory on the House floor. Twenty-six GOP lawmakers said they would not vote for him - well over the four he could afford to lose.
And his downfall was solidified after he was targeted by Donald Trump on Truth Social.
Emmer's downfall was solidified after he was targeted by Donald Trump on Truth Social
Trump has been in court Tuesday for his civil fraud trial at the New York State Supreme Court
'I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some
