The 119th Congress will begin on Friday, ushering in a new era of Republican control in Washington that will start with a high-stakes leadership fight to pick the next House speaker.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) must persuade a handful of Republican lawmakers frustrated at his leadership to support him once again.

Trump offered an unequivocal endorsement of Johnson on his Truth Social network on Friday, implying that a failure to return him as speaker would be an affront to Trump’s own 2024 general election victory.

The Florida Republican, who resigned his House seat during his short-lived bid for attorney general, has publicly flirted with the idea of showing up in Congress on Friday.

As leader of the House of Representatives, the speaker controls what bills make it to the floor, appoints members to committees, signs bills, gives members permission to speak on the floor and swears in new members.

Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday won re-election to the top post in the House, salvaging his job in a dramatic last-minute turnabout by putting down a revolt from conservatives. He won with just enough votes to clinch the gavel, 218 to 215, but the vote reflected the steep challenge he faces in governing a slim and fractious majority. Read more ›

Their silence spelled trouble for Rep. Mike Johnson, who needed almost every single GOP vote in order to hold onto the gavel.

Despite faltering for a time during voting Friday, Mike Johnson won the House speakership again – thanks in good measure to Donald Trump’s support.