House Chairman Urges Trump To Get On Phone With GOP Holdouts In Speaker’s Race

House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) urged President-elect Donald Trump to speak with the handful of GOP holdouts who oppose or have not endorsed Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) returning as speaker.

During a “Sunday Morning Futures” interview, Comer told Fox News anchor Jason Chaffetz that five Republicans will not commit to voting for Johnson, who can only afford to lose a couple of GOP votes.

“I strongly encourage Donald Trump to get on the phone with those five or six members who won’t commit to voting for Mike Johnson, because all this is going to do is delay us,” Comer said.

The chairman warned that if members cannot pick a speaker by January 6, then Congress will be unable to certify the results of the Electoral College that would make Trump the 47th president two weeks later.

“It’s going to delay the certification of President Trump’s election. It’s going to delay the start of his first 100 days in office, which is the most important time frame of his whole presidency,” Comer said.

“That’s when you get the most done historically,” he added. “So, I strongly encourage President Trump to get on the phone and try to get everyone united so we can work together as a team and make America great again.”

No other Republican has entered the speaker’s race as of Sunday afternoon, but the GOP’s margin to majority is only a few members deep and so far it appears no Democrats will cross the aisle and support Johnson.

Johnson’s handling of spending and surveillance legislation has irked some Republicans. A small number of them, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), have talked about considering someone else for speaker.

Trump, who reportedly told House Republicans he was with Johnson “all the way” in November, suggested to Fox News earlier this month the speaker’s chances would be tied to a stopgap bill packed with add-ons.

“If the speaker acts decisively, and tough, and gets rid of all of the traps being set by the Democrats, which will economically and, in other ways, destroy our country, he will easily remain speaker,” Trump said.

The House first elected Johnson to be the speaker in October 2023, ending a weeks-long standoff after then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was cast out of the role he won in 15 rounds of voting in January of that year.

“It’s a terrible challenge. … It was very difficult for Kevin McCarthy. It’s been very difficult for Mike Johnson. It would be very difficult for whomever would be elected speaker of our conference,” Comer told Chaffetz.

Comer said he does not want there to be a “repeat” of a drawn-out process, adding, “I’m strongly encouraging my colleagues to go ahead and elect Mike Johnson and let’s get started on passing President Trump’s agenda.”