Who is Mike Johnson, Republicans' fourth nominee who finally clinched Speakership?
Mike Johnson
Republican Mike Johnson was voted unanimously by 220 of his party members to become thenew speakerof the House of Representatives on Wednesday, ending a three-week in-fighting that paralysed Congress.
Johnson, of Louisiana, was picked as the Republican's fourth nominee after Tom Emmer—the Republican’s no. 3 candidate—withdrew from the race hours after securing the nomination due to opposition from the party's extreme-right flank.
The seat was left vacant since a small faction of Republican party rebels ousted Kevin McCarthyon October 3.
Johnson’s bid had gotten a massive boost after former president Donald Trump encouraged the Republicans to vote for the Louisianan representative.
Who is Mike Johnson?
The 51-year-old, who represents Louisiana's fourth congressional district—one of the poorest in the country—has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2016, and is currently serving hisfourth termin the House.
He is the vice chair of the House Republican Conference, and also serves as a deputy whip for the 118th Congress, and currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee and on the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
Johnson, who has billed himself as the bridge builder between the various Republican factions, is a well-known ally of Donald Trump.
“He knows everybody very well, does a great job with bringing people to the floor, talking about our policies, and that's what we need right now," said Republican Representative Kevin Hern, who withdrew his own bid to support Johnson.
Johnson and Trump’s relationship
Johnson is known to be a staunch Trump ally. He was also the first among many who defended the former president during the impeachment hearings.
The Louisiana representative led the amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in four swing states.
Trump, while arriving at a New York court for his civil fraud trial on Wednesday morning, talked up Johnson's prospects, saying "it looks like it's going to happen".
"I haven't heard one negative comment about him," he said. "Everybody likes him, he's respected by all.
(With inputs from agencies)