Mike Johnson, a loyal ally of Donald Trump, elected speaker of the House of Representatives after weeks of chaos

The end of a soap opera with twists and turns. Conservative Mike Johnson, a fervent supporter of former President Donald Trump, was elected speaker of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday October 25, ending three chaotic weeks of gridlock in Congress.

The elected official from Louisiana, unknown to the general public, managed to obtain 220 votes in the ballot. In addition to embarrassing the right, the impasse in the House has so far prevented Congress from responding to President Joe Biden’s request for aid to Ukraine and Israel, at war with Russia and Hamas respectively. .

Avoid “shutdown”

Mike Johnson entered the House of Representatives in 2017 after causing controversy with legislation considered hostile to LGBT+ people in Louisiana. The father of four also voted against codifying federal protections for same-sex marriage last year.

The elected official must now manage the discussions to avoid a shutdown of the administration, not only with seasoned negotiators like Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, but also members of his own party. He will also have to navigate between the positions of his Republican colleagues, who have been showing deep disagreements for weeks, particularly regarding the funds requested by President Biden for Ukraine and Israel.