President-elect Donald Trump put down his 9-iron and picked up the phone Friday to persuade Republican voters to vote for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).
The 78-year-old president spoke with one of the holdouts, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina), two Republicans who initially voted against Johnson's reappointment as speaker of the House. He is believed to have been on the golf course midway through his round. told CNN.
“He said, 'Look, I'm in the middle of a golf game,' and that was the first time I ever talked to him,” Norman said of his conversation with the incoming commander-in-chief.
“He said, 'Well, you voted for Nikki Haley.' I said, 'Yes, that's right.' We're with you now. 'And I said, 'We're with Mike Johnson,''' Norman added.
The South Carolina Republican also revealed that after Johnson was reelected as speaker, Trump promised to bring conservative lawmakers like Norman to the negotiating table on policy decisions. did.
Mr. Norman was among three House Republicans who initially refused to vote for Mr. Johnson on the first ballot, along with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas). There was only one person.
Norman chose to vote for Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Self-voting for Rep. Byron Donald (R-Florida). And Massie voted for Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).
But Mr. Norman and Mr. Self changed their votes at the last minute after meeting with Mr. Trump.
According to Fox News, President Trump spoke with Norman and Self on speakerphone after being called by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina).
The president-elect said it would be “disrespectful” to voters to force the speaker to vote a second or third time, adding that it would be “disrespectful to me as well.”
“Folks, we have a lot of work to do. Let's get started,” Trump told members, according to Fox News.
Massey had declared before the midday vote that he would not vote for the incumbent speaker under any circumstances, but he did not overturn his vote.
“Congratulations to Speaker Mike Johnson on winning an unprecedented vote of confidence in Congress.” Trump wrote on Truth Social:.
“Mike will be a great speaker, and our country will benefit from it. The American people have been waiting four years for common sense, strength, and leadership. They're going to get it now,” he said. And America will be greater than ever!”
