Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
As the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson wants to keep his role, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., took aim at fellow Republican Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., who indicated he was “undecided” about whether to vote for Johnson.
President-elect Donald Trump endorsed Johnson for the job this week, but Roy noted during an appearance on Fox Business that he doesn’t think the speaker will have the votes needed to win during Friday’s upcoming vote.
In a post on X, Van Orden asserted that Trump “received a mandate from the American people in November,” while Roy “did not.”
“It’s an America First Agenda, not a Chip Roy First Agenda. It’s a Make America Great Again, not Chip Roy Great. President Trump is fighting for America, Chip is fighting to keep his brand in the market,” Van Orden argued.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE RACE FOR PRESIDENTIAL REPRESENTATIVE
Left: Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., speaks to the media before a vote on a continuing resolution to fund the government at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024; Right: Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., arrives at the House Republican Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 22, 2024. (Left: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Right: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Some people obviously need to understand that if you want to be a leader, you first have to learn how to follow. I’d love to work with Chip, but he needs to understand that he can be part of the team, but there’s no way in hell, he’s the captain, he’ll be back in White House and his first lieutenant is @SpeakerJohnson,” Van Orden posted.
Fox News Digital has reached out to a spokesperson for Roy to seek comment from the congressman.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said he would not vote to keep Johnson on as speaker.
Roy noted that he is “undecided” about Johnson, but demands a change.
THE HIKE HIKE’S GUIDE TO NOT ELECTING THE PRESIDENT QUICKLY
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., is seen outside the U.S. Capitol after the final votes before the August recess on July 25, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
“@RepThomasMassie will not vote for Hakeem Jefferies, unlike the GOP who voted with the Dems (more Dems than GOP every time) to spend about $3 trillion and give 61bb to Ukraine with no border security,” he said Roy in a post on X.
“The reason I’m still undecided about voting for president (as opposed to a hard no) is that it’s not ALL @SpeakerJohnson’s fault and it’s my desire to give him grace and @realDonaldTrump space to deliver on the strong agenda we were elected to do. But something MUST change,” he pointed out.
Johnson’s path to victory is uncertain and could be derailed if another Republican joins Massie in staunch opposition to Johnson’s bid to retain the presidency.
TAIL. VICTORIA SPARTZ ASKS FOR ‘GUARANTEE’ REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON ‘WON’T SELL US IN THE SWAMP’
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is seen outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram explained, “The winning candidate must secure an outright majority of all members voting for the candidate by name.”
Pergram described a possible scenario in which just two Republicans could prevent Johnson from reaching the threshold needed to win. “So let’s say there are 434 members and they all vote for someone by name. The magic number is 218. If Johnson gets the votes of all 219 Republicans, he wins. If Johnson gets 218 votes, he also wins. But 217? No dice,” he noted. is Pergram.
