‘There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle’: The Speaker of the House plays into the election fraud hoax during acceptance speech

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries—who looks more and more like a potential presidential candidate with each opportunity to speak—delivered a masterclass in political jiu-jitsu Friday, using Republicans’ own enthusiasm to highlight their past election denialism while marking the stark power dynamics that will define the 119th Congress.

The moment crystallized during Jeffries’ remarks after Mike Johnson’s iffy reelection as Speaker. When Jeffries acknowledged Trump’s November victory, House Republicans erupted in standing applause—a celebration that withered seconds later when Jeffries added with a bit of wit and snark: “Thank you for that very generous applause. It’s okay. There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle.”

The barb cut especially deep given Jeffries is knowingly poking and prodding at Johnson’s central role in trying to overturn the 2020 election results. As the architect of the legal strategy that culminated in an amicus brief supporting Texas’ lawsuit to invalidate other states’ electoral votes, Johnson now finds himself in the unenviable position of leading a precariously thin House majority while carrying the election denial baggage, that Jeffries has put back on front street in a viral clip.

By the skin of the teeth of his plastic smile, Johnson secured his position Friday with 218 votes, the bare minimum needed, and only after an hour of intense floor negotiations to flip two initial holdouts. The razor-thin margin portends the difficulties ahead for Republicans, who hold just a 219-215 advantage.

This parliamentary tightrope means Johnson will likely need Democratic support to pass critical legislation, placing Jeffries and his unified Democratic caucus in position to extract concessions. The Democrats demonstrated their cohesion again Friday, with all 215 members backing Jeffries for Speaker.

And now, as his crap luck would have it, Johnson must somehow unite an unruly Republican conference while lacking the political capital to strong-arm holdouts without tugging on Daddy Trump’s coattail. His role in propagating election fraud claims may have endeared him to Trump loyalists, but it also handed Democrats like Jeffries potent ammunition to question his credibility.

The scene illustrated Trump’s iron grip over House Republicans, particularly Johnson, who needed the president-elect’s direct intervention to secure his speakership—which the President-elect will likely hang over the Speaker’s head for as long as he sees fit. Trump’s phone call during Friday’s vote to flip South Carolina’s Ralph Norman and Texas’ Keith Self’s votes demonstrated both his influence and Johnson’s dependency. Nine Republicans initially withholding support—the same number now required to trigger Johnson’s removal under new House rules. So, the Speaker finds himself perpetually at Trump’s mercy. This arrangement suggests less a functioning legislative body and more a preview of Trump’s return to power, where even routine House business may require presidential intervention to overcome Republican infighting. In fact, one can see long bouts of internal gridlock among its faithful, which could prevent Trump from getting much done.

As Republicans attempt to advance Trump’s agenda through their narrow House majority, Johnson’s speakership risks becoming a case study in political paralysis. Caught between Democratic leverage and the threat of conservative rebellion, the same election denial credentials that helped Johnson secure the gavel may well prevent him from wielding it effectively.