Trump endorses Mike Johnson for House speaker amidst tight vote for Republicans.

• Donald Trump, the newly elected president, encouraged his fellow Republicans to choose Rep. Mike Johnson as the speaker of the House of Representatives.
• In October 2023, the GOP appointed Louisiana lawmaker Johnson as speaker after Kevin McCarthy was removed from the position.
• Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York is set to be nominated as the Democrats' party leader and speaker.

On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump urged his fellow Republicans to choose Rep. Mike Johnson as speaker of the House of Representatives as the 119th Congress convened.

Johnson, whose term as speaker ends at 11 a.m. ET, faces a tight vote in the House, where the GOP has a slim majority. Trump's support on social media may influence the outcome.

If all 434 House members attend the vote, Johnson will need almost every Republican to support him to become speaker.

"Speaker Mike Johnson, a skilled individual with near-perfect support, is wished success today by Trump," the post read.

"A win for Mike today will be a significant victory for the Republican Party, and yet another testament to the importance of the 129th Presidential Election!" Trump wrote. "A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!"

Johnson, representing a district in Louisiana, must have a majority of House members present on Friday for the 119th Congress to elect him as speaker. The vote will commence before 1 p.m. ET.

In the new Congress, Republicans have 219 seats while Democrats, who will nominate Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York as speaker, hold 215 seats.

If every House member is present and votes, Johnson can lose the backing of only one Republican and still be elected speaker.

If Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, Ky., sticks to his promise, Johnson will have no support from Massie, leaving no room for error.

On Oct. 25, 2023, Johnson was elected as the first speaker, three weeks after McCarthy was removed from the position due to the support of a group of Republican and Democrat members.

Johnson was the fourth nominee considered to replace McCarthy.

McCarthy was removed as speaker after just nine months in office, having been elected speaker in January 2023 following four days of voting and 15 ballots.

This is developing news. Check back for updates.