'The leader we need' — Aderholt backs Speaker Mike Johnson after Trump endorsement ahead of Friday’s shaky election

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) has officially thrown his support behind House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ahead of Friday's election, which is shaping up to be shaky for the incumbent speaker despite receiving an endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.

After recent drama surrounding the House of Representatives passing a last-minute stopgap funding package, rumors have circled that Johnson's days in leadership may be numbered.

Johnson won a contentious election in October 2023 after then-speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted from his seat. Johnson received votes of approval from Alabama's entire Republican delegation.

While Johnson's tenure was relatively benign over the past year, garnering him little criticism from House Republicans, that changed in December after a contentious back-and-forth over a proposed short-term government funding bill. President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, and Elon Musk criticized an earlier version of the spending bill for needless, costly additions, causing Johnson to scramble for another option. The final bill passed 366-34, but not without criticism for raising the national debt ceiling.

Republicans will hold a slim majority in the House when it meets for the speaker election on Friday. Like 2023, Democrats are expected to vote unanimously for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), meaning any GOP "no" votes could prove disastrous for Johnson.

State Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has already stated he would not back Johnson in his reelection bid despite the Trump endorsement.

I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan. We’ve seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget. pic.twitter.com/6Y7GAkcBzJ
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 30, 2024

While the Alabama congressional delegation is expected to vote in favor of Johnson, Aderholt was the first to make his pick official on X this week, saying Johnson is "the leader we need to usher in relief from the destructive policies of the previous Administration."

Republicans need to hit the ground running on day one of the 119th Congress to deliver results for the American people. @realDonaldTrump is right, @SpeakerJohnson is the leader we need to usher in relief from the destructive policies of the previous Administration. https://t.co/40va4K8iwL
— Robert Aderholt (@Robert_Aderholt) December 30, 2024