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Speaker Mike Johnson re-elected: These were the three main moments of the dramatic vote


House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., narrowly held on to the gavel in a nail-biting vote Friday afternoon.

Republicans eager to swear President-elect Trump later this month and leveraged his control of the House, Senate and White House to avoid the same fate of the last two protracted speaker elections.

After some wrangling by both Trump and Johnson, in the end Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the only Republican to challenge the leadership and vote against Johnson.

Here’s a look at the best moments from the first ballot of the 119th Congress:

1. Five Republicans refuse to vote; three votes against Johnson

Johnson appeared to be on the way to defeat as five Republicans sat in silence as their secretary called them to vote. Three others, Republican representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas, voted against Johnson.

Massie voted for House Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.; Norman voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Self voted for Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.

At the end of the vote, the names of those who refused to vote for the first mention were called again. Reps. Andy Harris, R-Md.; Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.; Michael Cloud, R-Texas; and Chip Roy, R-Texas, ultimately voted for Johnson.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., narrowly held on to the gavel in a nail-biting vote Friday. (Tom Williams)

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2. Trump calls out two GOP defectors

Trump then got on the phone with Norman and Self and urged them to switch their vote for Johnson, both congressmen confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Two people who spoke to Fox News Digital said Rep. Nancy Mace, RS.C., connected Trump with Self and Norman by phone after voting against Johnson.

Mace did not comment, but Fox News Digital saw her and Johnson share a hug on the House floor after they and others stood in the side room with the resisters.

Mace was also seen in heated conversations with Norman outside the House floor earlier.

Massie was irreconcilable: he had long ago decided that Johnson was not the right person for the job. But Johnson could only afford to lose one vote and hold the hammer.

Johnson also piled on Self and Norman. House leaders did not formally end the vote while they figured out a way forward.

Representative Ralph Norman, RS.C.

MP Ralph Norman, RS.C., initially voted against Johnson. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas

Norman and Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, changed their vote after speaking with both Johnson and President-elect Trump. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

3. Self and Norman change their vote

About an hour after voting for others, the pair of defectors changed their votes, granting Johnson his wish.

Self said he changed his vote to help advance “Trump’s agenda.”

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“Trump’s agenda is the most important. Trump’s agenda is the most important, and we need to strengthen the processes in the House to make sure that we have the strongest negotiating team for the reconciliation package that is coming . So again, it was about making the Trump agenda more successful,” Self said.

Norman said he spoke with Trump, but was eventually persuaded to change his mind because of promises he received from Johnson to make “real change.”

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Trump “just said how Mike is the only one who could get elected,” Norman said.

He said Johnson did not offer him a quid pro quo but “a commitment that things will change”.

Liz Elkind of Fox News contributed to this report.



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