This Utah congressman believes challenging House Speaker Mike Johnson would be ‘nothing short of dishonest’

Republicans promised big changes in the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency. As new members get sworn in on Friday, the 119th Congress’ first day also includes a politically fraught task: the House of Representatives must elect a leader.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is in hot water. Most recently, he received criticism from some members of the Republican Conference for compromises he made with Democrats in a short-term spending bill last month. That bill was rejected in favor of a clean spending bill that kept the government running over the Christmas break.

Johnson reportedly made phone calls to his colleagues in the House on Thursday ahead of the election for the gavel on Friday. So far, no other candidates from the House of Representatives are in the running. Speaking to Fox News Business from the Capitol, Johnson said he spoke to those holding out on him and is willing to consider their asks for “process” reforms.

“I think this is going to turn out well tomorrow, and we’ll stay unified and we’ll get all this done,” he said. From the looks of it, Utah’s representatives are largely in favor of continuing with Johnson as speaker.

Utah Representatives show support for Speaker Johnson

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, the vice chair of the House Republican Conference, said he firmly stands behind Johnson and made a case for others to follow suit in a statement to the Deseret News.

“To try and force him out, or more explicitly, force someone else in, would be nothing short of dishonest,” he said. “Being Speaker of the House against an opposing senate majority leader and White House is the most difficult job in American politics, and Johnson has done a superb job handling every angle.”

Moore added, “To not give him the opportunity to work with a favorable senate majority leader and White House would be appalling and entirely dishonest. Instead of garnering attention by opposing the Speaker, Republicans would get far more accomplished by supporting him.”

Utah’s Rep. Burgess Owens also displayed optimism. As a former NFL player and Super Bowl champion, Owens emphasized the importance of teamwork for accomplishing Republican priorities.

“As a team, we have to recognize the way we’ve done things in the past to get things through has not worked,” Rep. Burgess Owens told NOTUS in December. “Let’s focus on following our leader and work as a team. If we do that, it’s amazing the miracles that can happen.”

Trump endorsed Johnson. Will it help?

Trump gave Johnson his endorsement, as the Deseret News previously reported. Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, sided with Trump, saying Johnson should continue to hold the gavel. “With his leadership skills, Republicans will be able to deliver on President Trump’s agenda starting day one,” she said in a post on X.

Utah Rep.-elect Dr. Mike Kennedy’s team told the Deseret News he also plans to support Johnson. Sen.-elect John Curtis will not be voting since he is an outgoing member of the House of Representatives. According to the manual of the House of Representatives, the Speaker is elected by the representatives-elect.

The big question still remains: Will Trump’s backing be enough to persuade lawmakers who have soured on the speaker?

Trump and Johnson shared tense moments leading up to the passage of the spending bill last month, when Trump reportedly doubted the speaker’s abilities. But this relationship may be on the mend; Johnson was spotted at Trump’s club, Mar-a-Lago, on New Year’s Day.

Trump, while entering the New Year’s Eve celebrations at his residence Tuesday night, said, “We’re going to get a successful vote.”

He added he would be willing to personally call lawmakers to shore up support for Johnson, and according to reports, Trump has already reached out to Texas Rep. Chip Roy.

Can Speaker Johnson hold on to his gavel?

The vote for the speakership is set for Friday. The House is expected to have a 220-215 Republican majority on Friday, although it’s expected to shortly shrink down to 217-215 since a few lawmakers will join Trump’s cabinet.

Johnson can’t afford to lose more than one vote. So far, his critics include Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who argued that while he respected Trump’s endorsement, Johnson wouldn’t further Republican priorities.

“We’ve seen Johnson partner with the Democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget,” he said in a post on X. In another lengthier post, he claimed Johnson lacked “situational awareness ... to know what can pass and what cannot,” and said he is not “competent” enough to capitalize on the Republican trifecta, where the House, Senate and White House are under GOP control for the foreseeable future.

He argued Johnson “was only electable the first time because he hadn’t held any type of leadership position, nor had he ever fought for anything, so no one disliked him and everyone was tired of voting,” following former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ousting.

Others like Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., are looking to get assurances from Trump.

Johnson could face a tough battle in 2025

Even if Johnson manages to hold onto his gavel, the next year could prove to be hard for him. As Fox News’ Chad Pergram wrote in a post, the House rules package for the 119th Congress has a provision that would allow nine representatives from the ruling party to introduce a resolution to vacate the House speaker’s chair and hold a new election.

Former Michigan Rep. Justin Amash in a post criticizing the rule said it rule protects Johnson from the Democratic Party’s pushback. Amash, a Republican, argued the speaker represents the House, not the “majority party.”

“Any one member (of any party or no party) should be able to challenge the speaker’s authority. The other members are free to vote down the challenge. That’s how it has worked since the earliest days of Congress,” he said. “A speaker who needs to be shielded from normal legislative accountability doesn’t deserve to be speaker.”