On Monday night in Florida, there was a meeting between former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, as reported by various sources. The exact details of their discussion at Mar-a-Lago were not disclosed, according to CNN.
According to Newsmax, reports from CBS News political director Fin Gomez indicated that Trump and Johnson convened at a private fundraiser for Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Republican from Florida. This encounter marked their first in-person meeting since Johnson assumed the role of speaker. Johnson, a staunch ally of the former president, recently endorsed Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, expressing full support on CNBC. He stated, “I’m all in for President Trump. I expect he’ll be our nominee, and we have to make [Joe] Biden a one-term president,” emphasizing his close alliance with Trump in Congress.
Johnson gained attention in 2020 when he led an amicus brief, endorsed by 100 Republicans, supporting a Texas lawsuit aimed at challenging election results in four swing states won by Biden. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, who was recently removed from his position, refrained from endorsing a candidate in the Republican primaries, as reported by NBC News.
As of now, Trump is the clear front-runner for the GOP nomination, with a Harvard CAPS Harris Poll released on Monday indicating a significant lead of 58 points over other Republican primary candidates. Additionally, Trump has widened his lead over incumbent President Biden by 6 points.
During the recent search for a new speaker, Trump publicly supported Johnson’s candidacy, urging a swift decision. Trump’s endorsement was expressed on Truth Social, where he stated, “My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST!”
Furthermore, on Friday, Trump commended Speaker Johnson for his “courage and fortitude” in releasing all the videos related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “Congratulations to Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson for having the Courage and Fortitude to release all of the J6 Tapes, which will explicitly reveal what really happened on January 6th!”