In spite of President-elect Trump’s endorsement of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) stated on Tuesday that the Louisiana Republican lacks the votes to retain the gavel and is uncertain about whether he will be able to support him in the Friday floor vote.
“I remain undecided, as do a number of my colleagues, because we saw so many of the failures last year that we are concerned about that might limit or inhibit our ability to advance the president’s agenda,” Roy stated during a recent appearance on Fox Buisness.
Roy later stated that Johnson does not currently possess the necessary support to serve as Speaker.
“Right now, I don’t believe he has the votes on Friday,” he added.
Despite Trump’s endorsement, Johnson is still being opposed by a number of other Republicans, such as Reps. Andy Harris (Md.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), and Victoria Spartz (Ind.).
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has previously stated that he will vote for a candidate other than Johnson, has also indicated that Trump’s endorsement has not altered his stance.
Assuming that all members are present and voting for a candidate, Johnson can only afford one Republican defection in the Jan. 3 Speaker election.
It is anticipated that all 215 prospective Democrats in the House will vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), while 219 Republicans are expected to be in attendance on that day.
Roy proposed two potential candidates to Johnson: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.).
Jordan expressed his backing for Johnson following Trump’s endorsement on Monday, and Donalds claimed in December that he supported Johnson for Speaker, despite his handling of the funding measure.
Roy expressed his respect for Trump’s endorsement of Johnson and his admiration for Johnson as a friend.
However, he has reservations regarding several actions taken by the Speaker in the past year, including the short-term spending deal that underwent numerous iterations before being finalized ahead of Christmas.
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