USA: with support from Trump and Musk, Mike Johnson is re-elected president of the Chamber of Deputies

Traditionally a formality, the election of the speakeras the speaker of the House of Representatives is called, has experienced unusual turmoil over the past two years, particularly with the unprecedented removal a year ago of the previous speaker, Kevin McCarthy. This decline was orchestrated by the most right-wing wing of Congress, which had already accused McCarthy of having increased the deficit by ceding too much to the Democrats. The episode gave rise to a 22-day psychodrama and exposed the internal fights in the Republican camp.

With less than three weeks to go until his return to the White House, Donald Trump wanted to avoid this type of scenario, especially since, without a president, the Chamber of Deputies would not be able to certify his presidential victory during a session scheduled for Monday (6).

“Very consensual”

Johnson took office in 2023 after this episode that paralyzed the House of Representatives for weeks. But some in his party consider him too consensual and soft on spending cuts.

Donald Trump welcomed the result. The president-elect considered Johnson’s victory a sign of “common sense” and said that “America will be even greater than before.”

Billionaire Elon Musk, increasingly influential in the North American political sphere, had also expressed his support for Johnson during the vote.