Johnson Denies Scratching Backs to Flip GOP Holdouts

Mike Johnson is trying to convince everyone that he rewon the speakership on his good word alone. Johnson was awarded speaker of the House on Friday after the second vote, flipping Republican votes from Keith Self and Ralph Norman that he initially didn’t have. They flipped their votes very quickly, leading to suspicions that Johnson may have capitulated in some way to these congressmen’s demands regarding policy priorities.

But Johnson denies this. “My simple message to my colleagues is, make suggestions about process improvements, we’re open to that at all times. But I don’t make deals with anyone. There’s no quid pro quo here. I don’t do anything in exchange for a vote,” said Johnson, according to CNN’s Manu Raju.

The platform Johnson announced after winning the speakership harps on fiscal responsibility and tackling the “swamp’s” corruption, something that Republican holdouts like Representative Victoria Spartz had demanded.

“I understand why President Trump is endorsing Speaker Johnson as he did Speaker Ryan, which is definitely important,” Spartz posted on Thursday. “However, we still need to get assurances that Speaker Johnson won’t sell us out to the swamp.”

Johnson spoke of a “promise of fiscal responsibility” and holding people “accountable” in an X post after winning the speakership.