Takes the oath of office: the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, on October 25, 2023 in Washington
Image: EPA
After the Louisiana representative was elected speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington is wondering how much legroom Donald Trump will give him.
EIt wasn’t as if Mike Johnson had been working hard towards this moment. Just a few days earlier, it probably wouldn’t have occurred to him that he would be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday. In his inaugural speech, the representative from Louisiana first thanked his family and then added: Unfortunately, his wife Kelly was not there. She doesn’t have a flight to go to in the near future Washington receive. Everything came a little suddenly. You could probably say that.
After 22 days of a leadership vacuum, the swearing in of the 51-year-old lawyer as the fifty-sixth Speaker gave Republicans a moment of unity. For three weeks, the faction had dismantled itself in front of everyone. The Democrats feigned horror, but secretly watched the drama with glee. Now the MPs seemed to remember for a moment that democratic institutions are fragile structures. When their representatives rob them of their dignity, they become caricature-like backdrops.
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