The turmoil surrounding the Republican nomination for US House Speaker has deepened after the party chose a fourth candidate for the powerful position.
Republicans chose Mike Johnson as their latest nominee late Tuesday after earlier choice Tom Emmer abruptly withdrew in the face of opposition from Donald Trump.
Mr Johnson, who represents Louisiana, becomes the fourth Republican nominee amid bitter infighting since Kevin McCarthy's ousting as speaker by members of his own party.
The party has struggled to find a consensus candidate, as its hard-right flank has refused to accept a more moderate speaker, while moderates do not want a hardliner in the position.
During private balloting, Mr Johnson won a majority, but will need the backing of almost all Republicans in the House to win the Speakership.
At a press conference afterwards, allies chanted “Mike, Mike, Mike!” in a show of support.
After he withdrew Tuesday afternoon, Mr Emmer quickly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans and insisted at the Capitol that Trump’s opposition did not affect his decision to bow out.
“I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference,” he said, referring to the GOP majority, saying he would support whoever became the new nominee.
However, Trump, speaking as he left a New York courtroom where he faces business fraud charges, said his “un-endorsement" must have had an impact on Mr Emmer's bid.
“He wasn't MAGA," said Trump, the party's front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.
Trump allies have been critical of Mr Emmer, pointing to his support of a same-sex marriage initiative.
Mr Johnson, who eventually secured the nomination, is a lawyer specialising in constitutional issues, who has previously backed Trump's legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.
He won 128 votes on an internal party ballot for the nomination, more than any other candidate. Mr McCarthy, who was not on the ballot, won 43 votes.
As Republicans control the House 221-212 over Democrats, Mr Johnson can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.
The speakership is among the most powerful positions in Washington, as the speaker controls the chamber’s business – meaning they can often make or break a US president's agenda.
