Speaker chaos in the USA

Mike Johnson new Speaker of the US House of Representatives  

Mike Johnson is elected as the new speaker after the protracted chaos in the US House of Representatives, reports Reuters. 

 

He is the fourth person to be nominated for the post after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in early October. 

 

As late as yesterday evening Swedish time, the third candidate, Tom Emmer, failed to be elected.  

 

Johnson belongs to the phalanx within the Republicans that is loyal to former President Donald Trump.  

 

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Johnson "least experienced speaker in a century"  

 

Mike Johnson is basically unknown beyond "the shady porches and air-conditioned town halls in the deep south," writes AFP about the new speaker of the House of Representatives. 

 

The 51-year-old lawyer from Louisiana is far to the right within the Republicans. He is a staunch opponent of abortion, which makes him popular within his own party, but not among donors who barely bothered to support him when he was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017.  

 

According to TT, he is the "least experienced speaker in over a century". 

 

He was reportedly persuaded to run for Speaker when it became clear that he was one of the few Republicans on whom everyone in the party could agree.

 

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Analysis: Trump has been involved as a kingmaker  

The Republicans are taking another step to the right with the election of Mike Johnson as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, according to Ekot's Washington correspondent Ginna Lindberg. 

 

Johnson is a Trump supporter and the fact that he was now elected - after three other Republicans were nominated for the post - shows that the ex-president still has a lot of influence over the party. 

 

- It required a candidate that Trump gave the thumbs up to. Thus, Trump has been involved as a kingmaker, says Ginna Lindberg.  

 

Johnson has been in the House of Representatives since 2017, and Politico's Brendan Buck writes in his analysis that experience no longer appears to be a necessary quality to become speaker. 

 

"Perhaps it was his short time in the House of Representatives that enabled him to win the chairman's baton. But now he faces a steep learning curve with almost no margin for error.”  

 

The BBC's Anthony Zurcher also points out the challenges that Johnson faces, including the financial support for Israel and Ukraine that the Biden administration is demanding. 

 

"It is during the negotiations with the Democrats that Johnson's presidency will be put to the test."