Speaker Mike Johnson Endorses Trump’s Presidential Bid

In a move that marks a departure from his ousted predecessor, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) formally endorsed Donald Trump for the 2024 White House race on Tuesday. Johnson made this declaration during an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” where co-host Joe Kernen asked him about his stance on the upcoming election.

“I have endorsed him wholeheartedly,” Johnson proclaimed during the interview. He went on to emphasize his close alignment with Trump during his first term in office, highlighting the remarkable economic achievements that occurred during that time. 

“Those first two years, as you all know, we brought about the greatest economic numbers in the history of the world, not just the country, because his policies worked and I’m all in for President Trump,” he stated.

Speaker Johnson endorses Trump for 2024: “I’m all in for President Trump.” pic.twitter.com/TqAX4FNGNS

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) November 14, 2023

Johnson further expressed his confidence that Trump would secure the Republican Party’s nomination for the 2024 election. “And then he’s going to win it. And we have to make Biden a one-term president. We have to do that,” he urged.

This endorsement sets Johnson on a different path from Kevin McCarthy, who was removed from his role as House Speaker in October. While McCarthy had long been considered a Trump ally and a vocal supporter of Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol incident, he did not commit to formally backing Trump’s third White House bid. In an interview earlier this year, he even questioned whether Trump was the strongest candidate in the then-crowded field of GOP presidential candidates.

However, Johnson hasn’t always been a supporter of Trump. In a 2015 Facebook post dug out by The New York Times, he voiced concerns about a potential Trump presidency, citing “character” and “moral” considerations. However, Johnson’s stance evolved and he would later become a steadfast defender of the former president, who has also had nice words for him.

Trump, who has fondly referred to Johnson as “MAGA Mike Johnson,” celebrated his ascension to the position of House Speaker. The GOP forerunner had urged GOP lawmakers to vote for the lawyer-turned-politician, stating, “He’s respected by all, and that’s what we need.” 

While he stopped short of making a formal endorsement, Trump strongly suggested that Johnson was the leading candidate for the role.