(The Center Square) – President-elect Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Speaker of the U.S. House Mike Johnson to keep his leadership role when a new Congress is sworn in after the first of the year.
Trump’s endorsement comes after conservative members of Congress criticized Johnson for his handling of a continuing resolution to keep the federal government open until March, saying he initially caved to Democrats’ spending wishes.
“The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!”
Trump, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, billionaire Elon Musk and conservative members of Congress opposed the first resolution Johnson unveiled, which included billions of dollars of new spending.
“The last CR we did was 21 pages,” U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote on X. This [one] is 1,547. Let that sink in. More pages, more taxpayer dollars flushed down the drain.”
Johnson quickly regrouped, and introduced a scaled-back, 118-page version that was approved by the House and the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden.
The new Congress is scheduled to be sworn into office Friday, Jan. 3.
