Republicans have managed to hold on to their slim majority in the House of Representatives, NBC News projects. In doing so, they’ve captured a trifecta in Washington once more, with control over both chambers of Congress and the White House.
The path to this result looked narrow after House Republicans’ disappointing performance in the 2022 midterms and two years of chaos that kept successes to a bare minimum. It appears as of now that their majority will once again be slim in the new Congress. But it means the House GOP will still have the numbers it needs to support President-elect Donald Trump’s return to power — if it can tamp down on its own infighting, at least.
Much of the current Congress has been devoted to intraparty fighting between establishment conservatives and the most pugnacious corner of the far-right wing. Republicans kicked things off by needing 14 ballots to elect a speaker, grinding the chamber to a halt. The winner, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., didn’t even last a year, becoming the first speaker to be removed from office, felled by a small group of GOP agitators and Democrats he consistently spurned.
It took the GOP another three weeks to decide on his replacement: Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who was spared a similar fate with these results. He received the caucus’ nomination to return as speaker in the next session on Wednesday via a unanimous voice vote. Johnson notably received Trump’s backing to retain his role in a meeting held earlier that day.
But victory does not mean there are no more fights ahead among Republicans. The minuscule margin of the last two years won’t be much higher this year, leading to a case where only a few defections can bring legislation to a halt in the House in the face of a united Democratic front. And Trump has already tapped several House members to join his administration, potentially leaving those seats vacant for months.
Further, in the wake of McCarthy’s ouster, many GOP representatives want to increase the number of members it takes to force such votes in the future (it now takes just one to call for a vote). If the status quo remains, though, Johnson will have the same sword hanging over him, ready to come down should he appear not subservient enough toward Trump.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
