House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., narrowly held onto the gavel in a nail-biter vote on Friday afternoon.
Republicans eager to swear in President-elect Trump later this month and capitalize on their control of the House, Senate and White House avoided the same fate of the past two drawn-out speaker elections.
After some wrangling by both Trump and Johnson, ultimately Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the lone Republican to defy leadership and vote against Johnson.
Here’s a look at the top moments of the first vote of the 119th Congress:
1. Five Republicans refuse to vote; three vote against Johnson
Johnson appeared to be on a path to defeat when five Republicans sat silently as their clerk called their names for a vote. Three others — Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas — voted against Johnson.
Massie voted for House Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.; Norman voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Self voted for Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.
At the end of the vote, the names of those who refused to vote on first mention were called again. Reps. Andy Harris, R-Md.; Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.; Michael Cloud, R-Texas; and Chip Roy, R-Texas, ultimately voted for Johnson.
2. Trump calls two GOP defectors
Trump then got on the phone with both Norman and Self and urged them to switch their vote for Johnson, both congressmen confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Two people who spoke with Fox News Digital said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., connected Trump with Self and Norman by phone after they voted against Johnson.
Mace would not comment, but Fox News Digital saw her and Johnson share a hug on the House floor after they and others were in the side room with the holdouts.
Mace was also seen in intense talks with Norman off the House floor earlier.
Massie was irreconcilable — he’d long had his mind made up that Johnson was not the right person for the job. But Johnson could only afford to lose one vote and hold on to the gavel.
Johnson, too, huddled with Self and Norman. House leaders did not formally end the vote while figuring out a path forward.
3. Self and Norman change their vote
About an hour after voting for others, the pair of defectors switched their votes, granting Johnson his wish.
Self said he switched his vote in order to help further ‘the Trump agenda.’
‘The Trump agenda is most important. Trump agenda is most important, and we need to shore up processes in the House to make sure we have the strongest negotiating team for the reconciliation package that will come. So again, this was all about making the Trump agenda more successful,’ said Self.
Norman said he spoke with Trump, but was ultimately persuaded to change his mind due to the promises he got from Johnson to make ‘real change.’
Trump ‘just made his point about how Mike is the only one who could get elected,’ Norman said.
He said Johnson didn’t offer him a quid pro quo but ‘a commitment that things are going to change.’
Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
