Mike Johnson re-elected as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives...119th Congress Opening

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has managed to retain his chairmanship despite the support of President-elect Donald Trump.

Johnson won re-election in a vote to elect the 119th Congressional new speaker on the 3rd local time, defeating Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who secured 218 votes and received 215 votes.

At first, three Republicans - Thomas Messi, Ralph Norman and Keith Self - voted for other Republicans, falling short of a majority, but two of them changed their minds before the polls closed to secure a majority.

Republicans maintained their majority in the House of Representatives in last November's election, allowing them to win back the House speaker, but some hard-line lawmakers in the party rebelled, raising concerns that the selection of the speaker could be prolonged.

However, as Trump confirmed his confidence in Johnson, it was widely expected that Johnson would be re-elected in the absence of a special alternative within the Republican Party.