House

Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson meet at Mar-a-Lago

Speaker Mike Johnson met with former President Trump on Monday night at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, a source familiar with the meeting confirmed to The Hill.

Johnson was at Trump’s estate for a fundraiser for Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.). It marked the first time Johnson and Trump have spoken in person since Johnson became Speaker in late October.

Trump and Johnson have had a warm relationship, with the Speaker just last week saying he’s “all in” for Trump’s 2024 White House bid.

“I have endorsed him wholeheartedly,” Johnson said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” 

“He had a phenomenal first term,” the Speaker added. “His first two years, as you all know, we brought about the greatest economic numbers in the history of the world, not just the country, because his policies work. And I’m all in for President Trump.”

Johnson in 2020 was one of the central lawmakers pushing a legal theory to reject President Biden’s election victory, as Trump spread false claims that the election was fraudulent, and Trump described Johnson as “MAGA Mike” after he won the Speaker’s gavel.

Trump urged House lawmakers to rally behind Johnson after he was nominated for Speaker in late October following Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) ouster and three other failed efforts to replace McCarthy.

Trump had initially backed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to replace McCarthy, but Jordan failed to secure enough support within the House GOP conference.