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President-elect Donald Trump said he's willing to call Republican House members "if necessary" to try and persuade them to retain Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. GOP conference members are scheduled to vote Friday to determine who will be the speaker in the new Congress. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has said he will not vote for Johnson, and several other conservative lawmakers have said they're deciding how to vote. They're angry at the speaker for agreeing to a failed spending package with Democrats in an attempt to avoid a government shutdown. "We're going to get a successful vote," Trump said Tuesday night as he entered the New Year's Eve gala at Mar-a-Lago. "He's a good man. He's a very wonderful person, and that's what you need." Trump said he's willing to make calls to lawmakers "if necessary" to garner support for Johnson. "He's the one that can win right now," Trump said of Johnson. The GOP will hold a narrow 219-215 majority — with former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz's seat vacant — when the new Congress begins. Johnson will need 218 votes to retain the gavel. Trump also said his Cabinet nominees, who include Pete Hegseth (defense), Tulsi Gabbard (intelligence), and Kash Patel (FBI), are doing "very well" in private meetings with senators, who will vote to confirm the positions. Flanked by Melania Trump on the red carpet, the president-elect expressed great optimism with his inauguration three weeks away. "I think a lot of progress has been made over the last five weeks. It's been pretty amazing," Trump told reporters. "When you look at what's happened, there's a whole light over the whole world, not just our country. There are a lot of very happy people." Asked whether he had a New Year's message to the nation, Trump said: "I just want everybody to be happy, healthy, and well."
Charlie McCarthy ✉Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved. |
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