Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson elected House speaker: Highlights

Republicans’ three-week speaker saga is finally over, with House members electing Johnson as the 56th speaker of the House today.

But along the way, GOP presidential candidates didn’t mince their words when they were asked about the self-inflicted chaos on Capitol Hill.

“Let us pray for the House,” Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said in jest at a town hall in Indianola, Iowa, yesterday when he was asked about the speaker drama.

“Please stop embarrassing the party, in Jesus’ name, amen,” Scott added to a laughing crowd.

Read the full story here.

Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., said averting a government shutdown will "be an issue" for Johnson in his role as speaker.

Johnson was just asked if he supports more aid to Ukraine. “We all do. ... We are going to have conditions on that so we’re working through."

"We want accountability and we want objectives that are clear from the White House. But we’re going to have those discussions. It will be very productive," he said.

Johnson hosts a podcast with his wife called “Truth be Told with Mike & Kelly Johnson.” Its introduction includes words of praise from former President Donald Trump calling him “a great guy.”

In one of the episodes, he says the podcast’s main purpose is to “offer a biblical perspective on the big cultural, social and political issues that are in the headlines each and every week … and how to respond in a way that we believe the lord would have us respond.”

The podcast, posted before Johnson thrust himself into the national limelight by pursuing and winning the House speaker’s gavel, offers a glimpse into how culture-war issues animate the Louisiana Republican, including his opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights.

In one episode, Johnson tells listeners they are living in “a brave new world” with “open, brazen depravity with levels that we’ve never seen and real threats, really, to everything that the Bible says is true and right and good.”

Johnson says he believes that LGBTQ movements have an agenda that is “pointed at, and focused on children.” He has also zeroed in on the Disney show “Little Demon” and Disney’s overall approach to LGBTQ topics.

The president of the pro-LGBTQ group Human Rights Campaign, Kelley Robinson, called Johnson “the most anti-equality Speaker in U.S. history” and an “anti-LGBTQ+ extremist.”

“Johnson is someone who doesn’t hesitate to express his disdain for the LGTBQ+ community from the rooftops and then introduces legislation that seeks to erase us from society,” Robinson said in a statement.

On abortion, Johnson says he introduced a bill to push back against attacks on pro-life institutions and churches or faith-based organizations. Its goal is to punish those who vandalize and burden pro-life institutions which “seek to help women and their babies,” he said.

Johnson was born to teen parents in 1973, a year before the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. “Everyone deserves a birthday,” he says on the podcast. “My parents knew that I was created by God and I deserved to be born and loved.”

“In post-Roe America now we have to work harder than ever to ensure that all babies are given the same chance and that the life of every unborn child is sacred,” he also says.

Rep. Mike Johnson was first elected in 2017. He has now been in Congress for six years, fewer than any speaker in recent history.

Dozens of House Republicans — but not former Speaker McCarthy — joined newly elected Speaker Johnson on the east front steps of Capitol Hill to give brief celebratory remarks after the vote.

The Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.; Whip Tom Emmer, R-Ind.; and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., praised Johnson and tried to put a positive spin on the lengthy gap without a speaker.

“These last few weeks probably look like total chaos, confusion, no end in sight. But from my perspective, this is one of the greatest experiences and risks of recent history,” Emmer said.

Johnson spoke briefly and promised to deliver for the American people and then ignored questions from the media.

With Johnson’s job as vice chair of the Republican conference open, Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., is considering running for the leadership spot and has been having conversations with colleagues, her spokesperson said.

President Joe Biden called Johnson this afternoon to congratulate him on winning the speaker's race, the White House said.

According to the White House, Biden told Johnson that he "looks forward to working together to find common ground on behalf of the American people."

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, expressed concern in a statement that the new speaker will try to push for a federal abortion ban.

“Mike Johnson has a long and disastrous record of attacking abortion rights and the full suite of sexual and reproductive health care services. House Republicans, including those claiming to be moderates, know exactly what they are doing by electing him as speaker: they are fully embracing extremism and a plan to ban abortion nationwide," she said.

"We need them to do the job they were sent to Congress to do: govern and fund the government, including sexual and reproductive health care programs," she continued. "Instead, they’ve chosen another out-of-touch and dangerous politician to lead their chaotic and dysfunctional crusade to take away our rights. Our communities deserve better."

Johnson has previously supported the idea of a national abortion ban, though it would not get through a Democratic Senate and White House.

Johnson spoke on the steps of the Capitol, thanking the American people for having "patience" and promising it will be worth it.

Americans will see the House work harder than it's ever worked, he vowed.

He didn't take any questions.

Donald Trump congratulated newly minted Speaker Mike Johnson after initially offering qualified support that he said wasn’t an endorsement.

“Congratulations to Rep. Mike Johnson. He will be a GREAT 'SPEAKER.' MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote on his social media platform.

Reacting to Johnson's election, Schumer said he looks forward to sitting down with the new speaker to "discuss a path forward to avoid a government shutdown."

"I will tell him, as I say over and over again, the only way to avoid a shutdown, to pass the supplemental [aid for Ukraine and Israel], and do things for the American people is bipartisan. And I hope and look forward to working with him in a bipartisan way. I hope he will," he said.

Johnson was seen talking to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the House floor following his swearing-in.

In an email sent out shortly after Johnson was elected, the Biden campaign called him "MAGA Mike Johnson" and "a Trump lackey."

They poked fun at Johnson's relative obscurity, writing, "Never heard of him? You’re not alone."

The email went on to criticize Johnson's policy record, calling him "one of Congress’s most extreme anti-abortion politicians" and "one of the most forceful election deniers in the House of Representatives."

The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, said in a statement that "Republicans have chosen a MAGA acolyte to push an extreme agenda in the House at the expense of middle-class families."

"If so-called Republican moderates were at all serious about making life better for everyday Americans, they would have worked with Democrats to find a bipartisan path forward. Instead, they abandoned the American people for Mike Johnson’s extreme agenda to pass a national abortion ban, defund law enforcement, and slash Social Security and Medicare," she said.

"They made their choice. And voters will make theirs next year when they reject Republican extremism and help Democrats take back the majority," she said.

Johnson said he’s submitted his own secret list of backups in case he is removed or unable to serve as speaker. It's a requirement and McCarthy had to do the same; that's how Rep. Patrick McHenry became the interim speaker or speaker pro tempore.

The lists are not public.

Johnson was sworn in as the 56th speaker of the House.

Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., did the swearing-in as Dean of the House (a title given to the longest-serving member).

Many Republicans took their own videos and photos of Johnson being sworn in.

Scalise introduced resolutions to notify the Senate and President Biden that Johnson has been elected — all standard procedure.

Johnson began his first speech as speaker on the House floor by thanking various supporters and leaders. He also said he looks forward to working with Jeffries despite their ideological differences.

"We're going to find common ground there," Johnson said.

He also thanked McCarthy, who he said is "the reason why we're in this majority today."

"This has been a grueling process," he said, adding that his wife was not in Washington to celebrate his new job. "She couldn’t get a flight in time. This happened kinda suddenly," he said to laughter.

He said he wants to restore people's faith in the House. "There’s a lot going on in our country, domestically and abroad and we are ready to get to work again to solve those problems."

"I think all the American people at one time had great pride in this institution but right now that’s in jeopardy. We have a challenge before us right now to rebuild and restore that trust," he said.

Johnson noted that the first bill that the House will vote on under his leadership is a resolution expressing support for Israel in its war against Hamas. That vote is coming up.

"We’re going to show not only Israel, but the entire world, that the barbarism of Hamas ... is wretched and wrong and we’re going to stand for the good in that conflict," he said.

Johnson said that he wants to establish a bipartisan debt commission and wants his speakership to allow for more involvement from rank-and-file members.

"My office is going to be known for trust and transparency and accountability for good stewardship," he said. "We want our allies around the world to know that this body of lawmakers is again to our duty stations. Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear — the people’s House is back in business."

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., is crying and wiping away tears as Johnson talks about getting the House back to work and his vision for the country.

Lesko is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. This is her last term in Congress; she is not seeking re-election next year in order to spend more time with her family.

When asked about the election of Johnson as speaker, President Joe Biden said, "I hope that’s true. Because we have to get moving. We have to get moving this time."

When asked about Johnson's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and whether that made Biden concerned about the upcoming presidential election, Biden said that he "was not worried" about 2024 because in 2020 Trump's supporters went "all the way to the Supreme Court and every time they lost."

The whip’s office just noticed the first House votes on something other than electing a speaker since Oct. 3.

The House will vote later this afternoon on a bipartisan resolution from House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., on condemning the Hamas terrorist attacks. It will take place after Speaker-elect Johnson is sworn in.

That vote, expected to begin in the 3 o'clock hour, will be the last vote for today. 

Afterward, the House will begin debating another one of the appropriations bills and amendments to that bill, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

House Democrats reacted to the election of Johnson as speaker by criticizing the Louisiana Republican's record while also expressing relief that the House can get back to work.

In a threaded post on X, Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said that Johnson supported efforts to overturn the 2020 election, supports a national abortion ban, opposes marriage equality and opposes U.S. support for Ukraine.

"The US House of Representatives is now fully, 100% under control of MAGA extremism," she tweeted.

The Progressive Caucus shared a similar post on X, saying that Johnson introduced a national "Don't Say Gay" bill and has advocated cutting Social Security and Medicare.

Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., posted a statement on X, saying, "Finally the House can get back to work. After more than three weeks of chaos and dysfunction thanks to the House GOP majority, I'm relieved they have finally chosen to resume governing."

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a post on X, "After more than three weeks of dysfunction that left Congress paralyzed, House Republicans have followed former President Trump’s orders and made MAGA extremist Mike Johnson Speaker of the House. Shame on them!"

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and George Santos, R-N.Y., yelled “No, he didn’t!” when Jeffries said Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

Greene is repeatedly heckling Jeffries as he speaks.

Johnson's victory means that for the first time in history, the speaker and the House majority leader will be from the same state.

Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who sought the top job but dropped out of the running in an earlier round, both represent districts in Louisiana.

It's a striking turn for an institution that is designed to balance power among states and regions, and it's an indication of the degree to which lawmakers put an increasing premium on ideological considerations over parochial interests.

One thing to keep an eye on: The setup could become an issue if changes are made to federal formula-grant programs to benefit Louisiana.

Johnson is walking back in now with his escort committee.

Johnson is the first Republican to be elected speaker with no GOP defections since John Boehner in 2011. McCarthy got all the Republican votes in 2021, but Nancy Pelosi was elected speaker since Democrats had the majority.

Just after being elected, Johnson posted a statement on X, calling his election as the 56th speaker an "honor of a lifetime."

He continued, "It has been an arduous few weeks, and a reminder that the House is as complicated and diverse as the people we represent. The urgency of this moment demands bold, decisive action to restore trust, advance our legislative priorities, and demonstrate good governance. Our House Republican Conference is united, and eager to work."

He highlighted his goals as speaker: Restoring trust, inspiring change for the American people, advancing a comprehensive conservative policy agenda, combating policies of the Biden administration and supporting allies abroad. "We will restore sanity to a government desperately in need of it. Let’s get back to work," he wrote.

Johnson will be escorted to the speaker's chair by former Speaker McCarthy, Minority Leader Jeffries, Minority Whip Clark, Emmer, Scalise, and Hern among others.

With 220 votes, Johnson is elected speaker.

Republicans were heard yelling “bulls---" when Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., said “the only candidate who represents integrity of the House," when referring to Jeffries.

With the tallying process still continuing, Johnson has cleared 217 votes, meaning barring any unexpected reversals, he is poised to be elected House speaker.

More than half of the Republican House members have voted so far and not a single one has defected to vote for someone other than Johnson.

So far it’s looking good for Johnson. He’s winning over McCarthy rebels and numerous Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan.

GOP Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, who opposed Jordan, accidentally voted for Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama before switching to Mike Johnson.

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., wished her wife a happy anniversary on the floor before voting for Jeffries for speaker of the House.

“Happy wedding anniversary to my wife. Hakeem Jeffries,” Craig said.

House Republicans gave a standing ovation when Emmer, who was the conference's speaker designee for only a few hours on Tuesday, voted for Johnson.

Democrats don't seem to be tiring of casting the same vote.

“For the nineteenth time in 10 months, Hakeem Jeffries,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas.

The House has begun voting.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., shouted “damn right” when Aguilar said Johnson has been called the architect of 2020 election objections.

Rep. Stefanik delivered the nominating speech for Johnson.

Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., posted on X that he is attempting to make it back to the floor for the vote for speaker. He said, "This morning my wife had surgery, which fortunately seemed to go well. I returned home so I could be with her for the surgery and meet with her doctor."

He said he is now headed back to Washington, where he hopes to be able to vote again for Hakeem Jeffries for speaker. If Boyle makes it back for the vote, there will be 430 members present and voting, meaning the magic number will rise to 216. Johnson can only lose four with all members voting.

As Republicans remain stalled on picking the next House speaker, nearly a dozen men have looked in the mirror and — despite little to no name recognition or the possibility of getting the job — imagined themselves as the most powerful person in the House.

Zero women within the GOP’s ranks have moved to do the same.

That’s not because there aren’t options. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York serves as the No. 4 Republican in leadership. Reps. Lisa McClain of Michigan and Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma also serve in leadership roles. And three Republican women serve as committee chairs.

Read the full story here.

The newest Republican nominee for speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., is slated for a vote today in the full House.

He was nominated last night by the GOP conference after three previous nominees flamed out and, while he has yet to ink the necessary 217 votes out of 221 available Republicans to become speaker, he said he’s optimistic he will win on the first ballot.

The little-known congressman was first elected in 2016, representing a solidly Republican part of north and western Louisiana. He has since ascended through the ranks, chairing the conservative Republican Study Committee and now holding the position of House Republican conference vice chair. He sits on the Judiciary Committee (and chairs a subcommittee on the Constitution), the Armed Services Committee and the newly created select committee on “Weaponization of the Federal Government.”

Here are five things to know about Johnson.

For the first time, Republicans unanimously stood and clapped for their candidate, Johnson.

"Mike! Mike! Mike!" they chanted.

The House is now moving to nominating speeches.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., expressed support for Johnson as the next House speaker, saying that she's been impressed with him and appears willing to work with her on women's issues.

"I'm clearly not going to agree with him on every issue. I never would with any speaker. I just want someone who's going to be honest and tell the truth. And that's what he brings to the table," Mace told reporters.

Johnson played a key role the effort in the House to overturn the 2020 election results on Jan. 6, 2021, on the false claim that Trump won the election.

Mace, who has criticized her own party for pushing for strict abortion bans, said she cares about women's issues, including access to birth control, help with child care and keeping kids safe in schools.

"He seems willing to have that conversation and actually came up to me yesterday and said, 'I know this is your thing. This is your issue. How do we, you know, work together and move forward?' I'm very appreciative of that because that shows humility. A lot of humility."

She added, "He's going to tell the truth, and he's going to restore trust in the House and restore trust in the institution and restore trust with the American people."

The mood in the chamber is just completely different than past speaker ballots: very upbeat, with a lot of laughter and smiling.

Republicans have taken selfies with Johnson. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican who ran for speaker himself, is acting as a photographer right now for members getting their photo with Johnson.

Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., released a statement in response to Johnson's letter outlining his plans as speaker, saying that Johnson's plan "leaves Israel and our democratic allies high and dry."

“Republicans are about to elect a speaker whose plan leaves Israel and our democratic allies high and dry. Failing to support Israel, and humanitarian aid for Gaza, empowers Hamas and its allies, including Iran. Leaving Hamas in control of Gaza not only threatens Israel, it also condemns the people of Gaza to more misery," Schneider said.

Johnson has not said that he would not support aid to Israel, but did not mention foreign aid in his proposal.

Several Democrats have come up to Johnson on the floor ahead of the speaker vote. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, was spotted giving him a hug and California Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu and Jim Costa were seen chatting with him.

As members started their quorum call vote to see how many are here, Speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry allowed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy to take the chair just for a moment to introduce the chaplain to lead the prayer.

Well before he secured the GOP nomination for House speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., played a key role in efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

Johnson, who currently serves as the GOP caucus vice chair and is an ally of Trump, led the amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the 2020 election results in four swing states won by Biden: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called on the Supreme Court to delay the electoral vote in the four states in order for investigations on voting issues to continue amid Trump’s refusal to concede his loss. It alleged that the four states changed voting rules without their legislatures’ express approval before the 2020 election.

Johnson at the time sought support from his GOP colleagues for the lawsuit, sending them an email with the subject line “Time-sensitive request from President Trump.”

Read the full story here.

The House is currently doing a quorum call to see how many members are present today. That number matters: To win, Johnson will need a majority of the number of members who are here.

Johnson is on the House floor, making the rounds and shaking hands with Republicans. Many are lining up to greet him. A lot of smiles and pats on the back can be seen on the GOP side of the aisle.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said that he doesn't know Johnson or "know much about him."

"I just don't know him. ... I think I may have shook hands with him at a State of the Union speech or something, so I think I've met him, but I just, I don't know," Thune told NBC News. Asked if he was concerned by the unfamiliarity with the latest speaker nominee, Thune said: "If the House, they're comfortable with it, it's their decision."

"We need somebody, obviously, to work with and we need somebody who can get the House functioning again," Thune said, adding: "I'm hopeful that we'll be able to develop working relationship with him, even though, you know, a lot of us don't know him well, at least on a personal level yet, but I suspect that will change in a hurry" if he is elected.

When asked by NBC News what he thought of Johnson, Sen. Mitt Romney said that he new "very little about him" but thought his past election denialism was "unfortunate."

Romney continued that it would "be interesting to see how the House runs if they choose a speaker that has no experience in leadership or as a committee chair."

He added: "Inexperience seems to be a qualification."

If Rep. Mike Johnson is elected speaker this afternoon, he would be the first speaker from the state of Louisiana. The top two Republicans would be from the Bayou state: Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

Johnson has a much shorter length of service in the House compared to past speakers in modern history, as he’s only been in the House since 2017. McCarthy was in the House for 16 years before being elected speaker, Pelosi had 20 years of experience, Paul Ryan had 16 years, and John Boehner had 20 years before taking the top job.

Johnson would also make history for being the first speaker ever to be elected on the fourth ballot. When speaker elections have gone multiple ballots, no speaker has ever been elected on ballots four to eight.

This would also mark the first time since before the Civil War that the original leading speaker candidate for a party dropped out after votes had been cast on the floor. The last time that happened was during the election of 1859/1860 when freshman William Pennington was elected on the 44th ballot, only after the initial leading Republican candidate John Sherman withdrew.

This speaker election will be the 16th that has required multiple ballots on the floor.

Tackling big issues was always going to be difficult in a divided government. But without a speaker, it’s impossible.

Congress has three-and-a-half weeks to fund the government or cause another damaging shutdown. But without a speaker, the House is frozen, unable to conduct business as their to-do list piles up and other key deadlines approach.

“We’re wasting time. We’re burning daylight. This has set us back on the approps process, so we’re moving up against the Nov. 17” deadline to fund the government, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

Read the full story here.

Three Republicans voted “present” rather than backing Johnson during a roll call vote last night: Reps. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and French Hill, R-Ark.

Two of them, Amodei and Massie, are now expected to back the lawmaker from Louisiana on the floor.

Amodei told NBC News that his vote was a reflection of the fact that he didn’t know Johnson very well and, as the lone Republican representing Nevada in the House, wanted to make sure he discussed his state’s key issues with the speaker-designate. Following a conversation with Johnson and more planned meetings with his staff, he seems poised to support Johnson on the floor.

Massie wrote on X that he committed to voting for Johnson after speaking with him this morning.

NBC News has reached out to Hill’s office about his vote.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said he believes Mike Johnson will win the speakership: “I expect him to have unanimous support by the Republican conference. He’s going to be the next Speaker of the House.”

“He is the cure for what has caused the last three weeks, and that’s trust," Banks said today. "Everyone trusts him.”

Ahead of a House floor vote on his bid for speaker, Johnson sent a letter to his colleagues outlining his plans for the rest of the year.

In the letter, obtained by NBC News from a source and also tweeted by Rep. Harriett Hageman, the lawmaker from Louisiana raises the possibility that a continuing resolution (or CR) may once again be needed ahead of another government shutdown deadline next month. On that front, Johnson proposes a CR until either Jan. 15 or April 15 “(based on what can obtain Conference consensus), to ensure the Senate cannot jam the House with a Christmas omnibus.”

Johnson also writes that he would modify the House schedule to eliminate recesses and break weeks to work on the spending bills.

His plans for the next month include passing a resolution condemning Hamas, getting a legislative blueprint for the rest of the 118th Congress and returning "to legislating and effectively messaging on our top issues and priorities.”

In December, he hopes to pass the farm bill and a budget resolution for next year.

One thing notably missing from the plan? Any mention of additional funding for Israel and Ukraine.

Johnson said this morning that he believes he'll get the 217 votes needed to become speaker.

“I do. I do, on the first vote,” he said, when asked by NBC News if he thinks he'll get enough votes.

"I think we're going to be unified," Johnson said. "We're going to get this ceremonial thing done here."

The House will meet at noon with a potential vote on whether to confirm Johnson as speaker on the floor soon thereafter.

Johnson will likely need 217 votes to win, but that could change if there are unexpected absences or if members vote present. (A candidate needs a majority of everyone in the chamber to become speaker.) There are currently 433 members of the House, and we know that at least one, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., is in Israel at the moment. Democrats expect full attendance and are all backing Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

But can Johnson win?

Things are looking good for him this morning. When Johnson was asked last night how many votes he got during the roll call, some Republicans shouted back, “all of us!” There were three members who voted “present.” Two of them, Reps. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., have now indicated they will support Johnson on the floor. The third, Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., has not responded to a request for comment on how he'll vote.

Former Vice President Mike Pence endorsed Johnson for speaker in a tweet this morning, urging GOP members to elect him into the position.

"Johnson is a proven conservative leader with a servants heart," Pence tweeted.

"I urge every member of  @HouseGOP to vote to elect this good and decent man as the next Speaker of the House. Time to Get Back to Work," he added.

McCarthy has endorsed Johnson as speaker, following his suggestion to take on a shared speakership in partnership with Jordan.

McCarthy said in a tweet this morning: "Johnson is a friend, fighter, and principled conservative who can get the job done."

"He has my full support as Speaker. We’ll keep working together to put our country first and fulfill our Commitment to America," McCarthy added.

The 51-year-old Johnson is a four-term member representing a North/Western area of Louisiana, near Shreveport. He’s a lawyer by trade, with a background in constitutional law.

The committees he serves on this Congress serve as a good road map to the kind of Republican he is: Judiciary, Armed Services and the Select Committee on “the Weaponization of the Federal Government.” Which is to say, he’s not shying away from the red-meat topics pushed by some of the more Fox-friendly, hard-right members of this GOP.

What about 2020 and efforts to overturn the election results?

He was one of the members involved in trying to keep former President Trump in power after he lost the election. The New York Times called him "the most important architect of the Electoral College objections."

Last night, he dodged questions about these efforts. The reporter who asked them was booed by fellow members.

How about government funding and the debt deal earlier this summer?

He was a YES on raising the debt ceiling but a NO on the most recent continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown a few weeks ago.

What about foreign aid?

He has voted against sending aid to Ukraine on two occasions.

And key social issues, like abortion and LGBTQ+ issues?

As a former senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a religious liberty group, Johnson was active in trying to shut down abortion clinics and referred to same-sex couples seeking spousal benefits as “same-sex, live-in lovers” who are “not about benefits, [but] it’s about having that lifestyle made legitimate.”

In Congress, he co-sponsored legislation that would make it a felony for providers to perform gender-affirming care for trans people and he voted against both the Violence Against Women Act and the Women’s Health Protection Act.As a spokesperson for the LGBTQ advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign put it: “He’s Jim Jordan with a jacket and a smile.”

Johnson said in an interview in late September with "Meet the Press Now" that the House GOP Conference is "really not that far apart" on policy issues.

"We all want the same things, whether you’re Freedom Caucus or you're from a district that President Biden won," he said. "All Republicans want the same things. We want lower spending. We want the border secured. We want to root out corruption in federal agencies."

The interview took place ahead of a possible government shutdown and days before House Republicans ousted McCarthy as speaker.

"I don’t think anyone here desires a government shutdown. It’s bad news, as the speaker said, for everybody," Johnson said.

The Louisiana Republican also defended the House GOP's impeachment inquiry into Biden despite criticizing Democrats' impeachment inquiries of Trump.

"We are following evidence and we have a constitutional responsibility to do so," he said, adding that the Constitution says that a president "shall be removed from office on impeachment of and conviction for treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors."

"The evidence that’s come forward, that has been developed" during investigations that have taken place over the last year, "now shows very clearly that we have serious allegations of some of those categories of infractions," he said.

In a Truth Social post, former President Donald Trump this morning said it was his “strong SUGGESTION” to make Johnson the speaker.

"I am not going to make an Endorsement in this race," Trump wrote, "because I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me. ... My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST!"

The former president — who is in New York today attending his former lawyer Michael Cohen's testimony in his civil fraud trial — was asked by reporters outside the courtroom if he'll visit Capitol Hill for the speaker race to meet with lawmakers.

"I may, but I think that Mike Johnson is doing very well. He is a tremendous congressman. Respected by everybody. I hear it looks like it’s really good. I haven’t heard one negative comment about him," he said.

House Republicans are still attempting to elect the next speaker, nominating Louisiana’s Mike Johnson after Tom Emmer suddenly dropped his bid when former President Donald Trump said Emmer as speaker would be a “tragic mistake."

Rep. Mike Johnson, a relatively little-known Louisiana Republican and low-ranking member of the GOP leadership team, became the party’s latest nominee for House speaker Tuesday night after three other hopefuls fizzled out.

He was nominated just hours after Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., beat Johnson and six other candidates to seize the nomination, only to quickly drop his bid after he failed to secure the near-unanimous GOP support needed on the House floor.

Johnson, the GOP Conference vice chair, could suffer a fate similar to Emmer’s. It remains unclear whether he can garner the 217 Republican votes — a simple majority of the full House — needed to win the coveted gavel.

Read the full story here.