As Republicans prepare for full Washington control…
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) has not yet secured reelection to his leadership post, leaving House Republicans temporarily rudderless as the GOP prepares to take full control of Washington.
Unable to overcome challenges within his caucus, Johnson failed to emerge from the floor vote with his leadership intact. Concerns about potential defections escalated earlier in the week when Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) publicly opposed Johnson’s continued speakership. With no Democratic support, Johnson could not afford to lose even one more Republican vote.
However, President-elect Donald Trump intervened to shore up support, engaging directly with skeptical lawmakers, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). Trump took to Truth Social on Friday morning, declaring Johnson was approaching “100% support” and framing the vote as a crucial moment for the ascendant GOP.
“A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party and yet another acknowledgment of our 129-year most consequential Presidential Election!” Trump wrote. His active involvement underscored his determination to minimize Republican infighting as he prepares to enter office in just over two weeks.
Trump’s concerns were rooted in his first-term struggles, where intra-party divisions often slowed his ambitious legislative agenda. In a statement of support for Johnson, Trump described the Louisiana Republican as “a good, hard-working, religious man” and emphasized the urgency of delivering relief to Americans from what he called the “destructive policies of the last Administration.”
In a separate post on X, Trump urged Republicans to present a unified front, writing, “We have a Country to run, and many big problems to solve, mostly created by Democrats. REPUBLICANS, BE SMART AND TOUGH!”
Despite this, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus remained disenchanted with Johnson. When asked for his vote, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) sat still, refusing to comment.
Other ideologically-aligned lawmakers, including Michael Cloud (Texas), Andrew Clyde (Georgia), Andy Harris (Md.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.) followed suit with their own stoney-faced glares. Some of this group, including Chip Roy, returned to cast their votes for Johnson when the clerk of the House asked for them.
However, three GOP members defected, causing Johnson’s efforts to reclaim the gavel to fail this time and making the process more challenging than he had hoped.
As expected, Rep. Massie cast his vote for someone else—House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).
Then, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) cast his vote for Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as speaker, ensuring that Johnson would fail to secure enough votes in the first round. Norman appeared visibly disdainful as his colleagues murmured disapprovingly around him.
Lastly, Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) voted for Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) for speaker.
Prior to the vote, Politico’s Olivia Beavers reported that a group of conservatives and potential opposition members against Speaker Johnson circulated a document outlining a “scorecard” of perceived failures by the 118th Congress.
The vote took place as the 119th Congress convened for its first session. With the GOP poised to hold the presidency, Senate and House, expectations are high for the party to swiftly implement its legislative priorities.
As Washington braces for this new era of Republican governance, the speaker of the House’s ability to navigate internal dynamics and work with Senate Republicans and the incoming Trump administration will be pivotal. The speaker will face an immediate challenge of uniting his conference and steering it toward fulfilling America First campaign promises in the days, weeks and months ahead.
For now, it’s unclear if the House will go to a second vote or recess shortly for some deal making.
Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News. This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
(@RepMTG) 
New: Thomas Massie says he will not vote for Mike Johnson Speaker tomorrow: “No. You can pull all my fingernails out. You can shove bamboo up in them. You can start cutting off my fingers. I am not voting for Mike Johnson.”
Fix The NSC: A Warning & Roadmap For Trump’s Second Term
A Call to Action: Reforming the National Security Council
Joshua Steinman, the former senior director for cyber on President Trump’s National Security Council (NSC), has issued a stark warning to the incoming president that demands immediate attention. Steinman, who loyally served from Trump’s first day in office to his last, cautions that mistakes in NSC staffing could spell disaster for the administration’s second term, leading to either ineffectiveness or outright betrayal. His insights form a compelling argument for a complete overhaul of the NSC as the cornerstone of Trump’s efforts to govern effectively.
The NSC, as Steinman explains, is not merely a bureaucratic appendage. It is the quarterback of the White House—the entity tasked with ensuring that the president’s directives are executed seamlessly across the vast machinery of the federal government. “If the president is the owner of the football team, the NSC is the quarterback,” he asserts, underscoring the centrality of this institution in driving the administration’s policy agenda. And yet, Steinman’s concerns suggest that the team surrounding this quarterback may not be up to the task.
Reflecting on Trump’s first term, Steinman identifies a critical error: the decision to retain approximately 50% of the NSC staff from the Obama administration. This hesitation to implement a sweeping purge, according to Steinman, allowed disloyal actors to undermine Trump’s policies. Some of these holdovers allegedly continued to operate under Obama-era guidance until explicitly instructed otherwise. Steinman’s message is clear: “Removing people like this isn’t personal; it’s just prudent.”
The stakes are high. Steinman contrasts Trump’s initial approach with the swift and decisive action taken by President Biden, who executed a comprehensive purge of Trump-aligned NSC staff upon taking office. This move ensured that Biden’s team could implement his agenda without interference from ideological adversaries. Critics labeled Biden’s actions a “purge” and raised concerns about the politicization of traditionally non-partisan roles, but his administration’s determination to align its personnel with its policies proved effective in consolidating its power.
Steinman’s critique does not stop at holdovers. He raises alarms about new hires, questioning their loyalty and expertise. Among those rumored to join Trump’s team is Adam Howard, GOP Staff Director for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), who is set to take the critical role of senior director for intelligence programs. Steinman questions whether Howard’s background equips him to confront potential interference from the intelligence community—a task vital to ensuring Trump’s agenda is not derailed.
The urgency of Steinman’s warning lies in the fundamental truth that personnel is policy. For Trump’s administration to succeed, the NSC must be staffed with individuals who are not only loyal to his vision but also possess the subject-matter expertise to navigate the complexities of their roles. Steinman’s concerns about Anne Neuberger, the Biden-appointed NSC cybersecurity director, exemplify this need. Her alignment with policies on artificial intelligence and tech censorship could undermine Trump’s objectives, should she remain in place.
Trump’s response to these challenges is beginning to take shape. Key appointments to his NSC include:
While these appointments reflect a renewed emphasis on loyalty and alignment, Steinman’s cautionary tale lingers. The success of Trump’s second term hinges on avoiding the missteps of the first. The NSC’s ability to serve as an effective quarterback depends entirely on the quality of its staff. As Steinman aptly puts it, “The Intel Senior Director position is one of the most CRITICAL posts in U.S. Government.”
The broader implications of Steinman’s warning extend beyond Trump’s presidency. The debate over Biden’s NSC purge highlighted the tension between ensuring policy alignment and maintaining non-partisan governance. Critics, including the Heritage Foundation, argued that Biden’s actions undermined the apolitical nature of advisory roles, while supporters contended that loyalty is essential for effective governance. Trump’s administration must navigate this delicate balance, prioritizing mission alignment without descending into the partisanship that critics decry.
As Trump prepares to assume office once more, the lessons of his first term and Biden’s purge are clear: the NSC must be reimagined, restructured, and resolutely loyal to the President’s agenda. Failure to act decisively could jeopardize the very goals Trump has championed—from ending unnecessary conflicts to revitalizing the economy. Steinman’s call to action is both a warning and a roadmap: “Fix the NSC, fix the presidency.”
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