Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) criticized some of his Republican colleagues for working to undercut House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) bid to keep his gavel.
With the House meeting Friday to elect a speaker for the 119th Congress, Johnson has faced critical opposition from a handful of disgruntled Republicans, putting his chances of keeping his job in danger because he can afford to lose only two votes from his conference.
Moore, who works closely with Johnson through top leadership roles in the House, defended the speaker during an interview with the Deseret News when he called on Republicans to unite behind the House chief.
“To try and force him out, or more explicitly, force someone else in, would be nothing short of dishonest,” Moore said. “Being speaker of the House against an opposing Senate majority leader and White House is the most difficult job in American politics, and Johnson has done a superb job handling every angle.”
Although he has been in Congress for only a few years, Moore has clinched influential leadership positions in the lower chamber, serving as vice chairman of the House Republican Conference and the co-chairman of a House caucus that is working in tandem with President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. He also holds roles on the powerful House Ways and Means and Budget committees.
Moore has emerged as a critical ally to Johnson at a time when the speaker has faced intense criticism from a few lawmakers on his own side of the aisle. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN) are the two House Republicans who have voiced the loudest displeasure over Johnson’s role in passing recent government spending legislation, threatening to vote against him Friday even after Trump endorsed the speaker.
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Moore himself voted against the spending bill Johnson pushed in December 2024. However, ahead of the speaker’s vote, he suggested that opposition to Johnson came because the disgruntled lawmakers wanted to garner “attention” for themselves. He condemned their efforts, calling on them to coalesce behind the incumbent speaker to move the Republican agenda forward.
“To not give him the opportunity to work with a favorable Senate majority leader and White House would be appalling and entirely dishonest,” the Utah lawmaker said. “Instead of garnering attention by opposing the speaker, Republicans would get far more accomplished by supporting him.”
