Trump Ally Johnson Elected Speaker, Shifting GOP Further Right

Republicans installed little-known Trump ally Mike Johnson as US House speaker, cementing the party’s rightward shift and ending a messy three-week succession fight that paralyzed legislative work.

His election Wednesday culminates a historic struggle among GOP factions that ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy and derailed three potential successors. The bitter infighting prevented the House from acting on emergency aid for Israel and Ukraine, and on funding to avert a US government shutdown next month.

Representative Mike Johnson, left, in the House Chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, shook hands with former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Photographer: Ting Shen/Bloomberg

The elevation of the 51-year-old Louisiana congressman — who was a prominent supporter of Donald Trump’s efforts to deny Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory — ...