President-elect Donald Trump's decision to cherry-pick multiple members of House Republican caucus to fill spots in his administration is setting off alarms with GOP insiders that he is making House Speaker Mike Johnson's job even more difficult that has already been for the Louisiana Republican.
According to a report from the New York Post, the GOP has a slim majority with several seats still up in the air and the number of Republican lawmakers are steadily dwindling as they become part of Trump's new White House team.
That shortage of Republican lawmakers is also being compounded by the slowness of filling the soon-to-be empty seats.
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According to the Post, "The picks– – New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and Florida Reps Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz are in reliably red districts and can only be filled after a special election process which could leave them vacant for months," noting that Gaetz will neither be in the House or at Department of Justice resigning and then withdrawing his name from consideration under a cloud.
According to one GOP House insider, with such a slim margin, important votes coming up could be a struggle.
“I think it was a concern once he started tapping people from the House and the California races haven’t even called yet. That could be two more seats the Dems flip,” they explained.. “When Trump spoke to the House Republican conference [last week] he said, I’d love to tap 15 of you but I have to wait."
Another aide added, “It will be panic time when the first spending bill happens in the new year."
The Post report adds, "Even reelecting Rep. Mike Johnson as speaker will be a heavier lift. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene have both rumbled in recent months about ousting him from the job."
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