Johnson optimistic hell remain House speaker as GOP holdouts threaten another marathon round of voting

Friday will be House Speaker Mike Johnson’s moment of truth as Republican holdouts decide whether he should lay claim to the gavel again in the next Congress — or opt instead to plunge their conference into disarray once more.For his part, Johnson (R-La.) remains confident — at least in the public eye — and is privately burning up the phone lines, meeting with apprehensive Republicans and proudly touting his recent endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.“I think we get it done on the first round,” he declared on Fox Business Thursday afternoon.

“I’m certainly hopeful for that, because, as we noted, we got to stick together.We’ll be operating with the smallest margin in US history for much of the first 100 days of the Congress, and perhaps longer into the year.”“Look, I’m a proven fighter, I’m a MAGA conservative, but I’m also someone who can get everyone in that broad array that we have in the House GOP to work together, and that’s what’s necessary in the days ahead,” he added.Not everyone shares his optimism.“He doesn’t have the votes — which isn’t a secret,” one House GOP aide bluntly told The Post, predicting Johnson would fall short in the first round of voting on Jan.

3.Not all Republicans expect he will meet the same fate, and thus far only Rep.Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has publicly come out against him.But Johnson can’t afford another defection.At least half a dozen members remain undecided, including Reps.

Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), among others, and he can only afford to lose one vote.Johnson has long been facing an uphill battle to ascend back into the speaker’s chair in the 119th Congress, a tricky feat to begin with due to the slim GOP majority.His critics also became reinvigorated during the government spending flap last month, per the aide, who claimed the initial bill Johnson unveiled was ” a disaster” and “...