HOMEPAGE Elections Trump Made Them Vote for Johnson and Now They’ve Set a Timer on His Speakership CLOCK’S TICKING Juliegrace Brufke Senior Political Correspondent Updated Jan. 4 2025 3:12AM EST / Published Jan. 3 2025 7:12PM EST fb icon twitter icon email icon reddit icon Mike Johnson is sworn in as Speaker of the House Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday/The Daily Beast/Getty Images In the end, Donald Trump was the one who saved Mike Johnson’s gavel Friday during a drama-filled House floor vote for speaker on the opening day of the new Congress. Then, almost immediately after Trump convinced them to back his man, House hardliners put Johnson on notice: Follow our rules or next time, you’re out. The president-elect managed to persuade Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas to switch their support back to Johnson—after they had already publicly cast votes against the Louisiana Republican, which was at odds with Trump’s wishes. Trump personally called Norman and Self and had an “entirely friendly” conversation with both lawmakers, a source told the Daily Beast. The call took place during the course of a tense, hour-long vote that remained open as Johnson and his allies—and the incoming 47th president of the United States—wooed and cajoled behind the scenes. The joint effort worked and Johnson was declared speaker again after the House voted 218-215, with all Democrats and a lone GOP dissenter, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, refusing to support Johnson.