is duly elected speaker- of the house of representatives for the 119th congress. applause. joining me tonight are abel maldonado, republican and former lieutenant governor of california, and anneke green, founding partner of reach global strategies and former staffer for president george w bush and mitch mcconnell. we willjoin our panels shortly. a big night in washington. first, the latest headlines. the republican congressman mike johnson has narrowly won re—election to the most powerful seat in the us house of representatives. mrjohnson was donald trump's pick for house speaker but in a tense first round of voting, three fellow republicans cast ballots for someone else.

at the very last minute, two switched their votes to support him, just before the gavel went down. the white house says us presidentjoe biden will travel to new orleans on monday. a vigil has been set up on bourbon street for the 1a people killed in the new year's day attack. the family of the man who carried out the attack say they are struggling to understand what motivated him to do it. severe weather warnings have been issued for parts of england and wales over the weekend. there are amber warnings for snow and ice which could bring "hazardous" travel conditions. up to 30 centimetres of snowfall is expected in some places, and temperatures could fall as low at —10 degrees. apple has agreed to pay nearly £80 million to settle a case in america alleging some of its devices were listening to people without their permission. the tech giant was accused of using the virtual assistant siri to eavesdrop on customers, with the recordings shared with advertisers. apple didn't admit any wrongdoing.

good evening. we are going to do things a little differently tonight. our panel is with us this first hour because we are continuing to watch an important moment in washington. the new congress convened this afternoon, and members of the house have been voting to elect the next house speaker, one of the most powerful positions in washington and crucial to donald trump's legislative agenda. but things did not go smoothly this afternoon for trump's man mikejohnson, who was looking to return as speaker in the first round of the vote. massie. tom emmer. emmer. that was the voice of kentucky congressman thomas massie, who voted instead for the majority whip thomas emmer. two others ralph norman of south carolina and keith self of texas also voted for alternative speakers. the magic number forjohnson was 218 — he was two short. and so began a frenzied hour

of wheeling and dealing. asjohnson tried to shift the norman and self into the yes column. and in the end it worked. the house will be in order. mr norman- _ the house will be in order. mr norman. johnson. mr self. johnson _ johnson. applause tojohnson�*s on the first round this was the moment the last few minutes as he was escorted by his fellow congressmen to begin a second term as house speaker. at the republicans hope the slender list of margins in the house this was not as wild as 2023, nonetheless the vote today will raise concerns of bigger problems ahead. before we came

on airas but air as but the republican just before we came on air, i spoke to republican congressman from tennessee tim burchett. he was initially one of the holdouts. at the time we spoke, it looked as though we were heading into a second round. congressman, you predicted it would go multiple rounds. you did vote for mikejohnson in the first round. will you stick with him in the subsequent rounds? yes, sir. i don't see any reason to change. i think they're working it out now and there's a question of whether they've even closed the vote so they could work it out and get something going. i asked the speaker, i mean, the speaker met with one of the members that that had voted against him. and i suspect he's meeting with both of them right now. and i wouldn't be a bit surprised if president trump wasn't on the phone to both those members. it's an interesting point you make because obviously the president—elect has a stake in this. he has some skin in the game here. it's his legislative agenda that is on the line, if the caucus doesn't

stick together. does this portend trouble in the months ahead? no, sir, not for president trump. i don't think this is just a procedural move right now. and it's the constitution provides for it. it's democracy. it's ugly. it's not how y'all do it, but it's the way we do it. and so we'll we'll work through it. i predict we'll get something done here today. i think we'll have a we'll have a speaker elected. i can assure you it gets pretty messy this side as well. what was it that convinced you? you said you decide on the day. did you extract anything tangible from mikejohnson today? well, i'm a christian. i'm not a very good one. i know that's not a good thing to say in politics, but i pray about it. and i ask god what i need to do. and i think about what's best for the country and what we need to... the direction we need to go in. and honestly, mikejohnson is a very decent man. i want him to be a little more fiscally restrained and i hope he is in the future. so we'lljust keep working on those things.

and there's a few other things i'm interested in, but he has been very open—minded to my suggestions, so i've enjoyed that relationship. do you think he is committed to reducing the debt and is he committed to getting the legislative agenda through, even if that might mean working with democrats? are you content with that? oh, i don't care. i honestly don't. i just want to get the deficit... i want to see our reduction in spending, and i want to pay down some of this $36 trillion. we run up another trillion dollars every 100 days. that's not good for our economy here, and it's not good for the world economy unless you're chinese, i guess and then we have to borrow the money from them. so i would suspect, though, that that's that's something on the minds of every conservative on the house floor. just before i let you go, we're into the second round of voting. you seem pretty confident that things will be ironed out. presumably, there's

enormous pressure on south carolina's ralph norman and keith self of texas to vote for mike johnson. have you spoken to them? are you confident they'll turn around? yeah, i spoke to them. i spoke to them before the session. i knew where they were going to be, and i spoke to them after the vote. and i, you know, everybody wants to go out and thump their chests at them. and look, i've been there. i've been one of those six votes that votes against the speaker, and i've had the world angry at me. and i get it. i'm not going to be one of those that gets in their face. i just told them what i thought, and i encouraged them to vote, to meet with the speaker and that's exactly what they're doing. and have they had a call from donald trump? i cannot confirm or deny that. yeah, i imagine he's paying some interest in it. listen, we will let you get back to the vote. congressman, it's very good to talk to you on the programme. thanks for coming on. hey, brother, it's always a pleasure talking with you. i'm a british motorcycle fan. i've got a bunch of old

bonnevilles in my barn. i've got a �*64 bonneville. i've got an old 1972 bsa lightning. last year they made them. so i love england. well, godspeed. he was right on the money because they did turn their votes. let's dip into the house because mike johnson is speaking let's listen in. flat johnson is speaking let's listen in.— johnson is speaking let's listen in. �* :: , . , ., ., listen in. at 250 years old our nation is _ listen in. at 250 years old our nation is actually _ listen in. at 250 years old our nation is actually a _ listen in. at 250 years old our nation is actually a young - nation is actually a young nation. this past fall had the opportunity to go to the g—7 speakers meeting held in italy the only international trip i took i speak with last 11; months as a did not have time to, but it was a quick three day trip and met with my colleagues, the speakers of the other parliaments, the great governments around the world and we talked about that. how really special america is and how unique we are and our place on the globe and how important it is for us to maintain that. as i talk to these colleagues from around the world i thought

our closest allies who recognise how important we are, how important this body, this house is, i thought about how is it that such a young country has become so exceptional, so singular and its importance that today it's the leader in liberty, the economy and culture. 100 years ago president calvin coolidge answered that very question in his inaugural address. it was march of a hundred years ago exactly almost. he said this, "we best serve our own country and successfully discharge her own obligations to humanity by continuing to be openly and candidly, intensely and scrupulously american". i love that. today, that's right... that is an applause line. applause today, my friends our nation is the envy of the world. lath?

today, my friends our nation is the envy of the world.- the envy of the world. why a? because we — the envy of the world. why a? because we have _ the envy of the world. why a? because we have been - the envy of the world. why a? | because we have been marked the envy of the world. why a? - because we have been marked by a spirit and people who are explicitly back. we are explicitly back. we are explicitly american. we don't try to be like other nations and we recognise that a strong america is good for the entire world and everyone around the globe knows that. that's right. applause. we also recognise the core principles that made america what we are must still be preserved today. the principles, i call them the seven core principles of american conservatism but it is the principles of the nation itself, individualfreedom, limited government, the rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, human dignity. these are the ingredients and things that made us who we are. in america we know that human flourishing is best achieved by adherence to time—tested truths. we could list a number of those simple truths. here is a few, it is better to give a

hand up then a hands out. the innovation thrives when bureaucracy dies. innovation thrives when bureaucra dies. . bureaucracy dies. there we are. mike johnson — bureaucracy dies. there we are. mike johnson elected _ bureaucracy dies. there we are. mike johnson elected to - bureaucracy dies. there we are. mike johnson elected to a - mikejohnson elected to a second term as speaker, speaker and director directing the applause this afternoon. 0ur panel has been waiting patiently and thank you for that. let's start with you we saw keith itself and ralph norman huddled with the speaker and walk off the floor, i think the congressman was right that the conversation went on, what you think happened behind the scenes? —— keith self. i happened behind the scenes? -- keith self. ~ . happened behind the scenes? -- keith self-— keith self. i think that they made their _ keith self. i think that they made their comments. - keith self. | think that they | made their comments. that keith self. i think that they - made their comments. that they are frustrated and worried about the debt and worried about the debt and worried about the debt and worried about the spending and maybe they asked for a committee, who knows. i know how this political thing works. i was in it for a long time and we know who norman is and we know who seh who norman is and we know who self is, they voted against mike johnson self is, they voted against mikejohnson so now they maybe have an opportunity to talk with the speaker and obviously

to the president, i am not sure, but obviously and they were happy enough to change their votes immediately and i'm glad this only lasted two hours because the american people voted for change, they gave them the house, the republican party, and the senate, the republican party and the white house it's time to govern. it is time to do what you said you're going to do and i am glad it only lasted two hours and we can move on now on the important issues that we have as americans. fits important issues that we have as americans. as congressman burchett suggested _ as americans. as congressman burchett suggested we - as americans. as congressman burchett suggested we are - as americans. as congressman | burchett suggested we are now being told donald trump did weigh in and make a phone call, it is a difficult position to be in as was suggested to be to holdout, the two votes that make all of the difference. it is, but it was also intentional. as the congressman noted _ intentional. as the congressman noted you — intentional. as the congressman noted you get the opportunity to noted you get the opportunity io gei— noted you get the opportunity to get a — noted you get the opportunity to get a bit of attention from leadership and if you ultimately decide to vote the way that they are asking that becomes a credit in your

direction and hopefully for the issues — direction and hopefully for the issues that you raise with the speaker— issues that you raise with the speaker and the president. issues that you raise with the speakerand the president. it is a bit — speakerand the president. it is a bit of— speakerand the president. it is a bit of horse trading. what will it— is a bit of horse trading. what will it take to get the boat over— will it take to get the boat over the _ will it take to get the boat over the line. will it take to get the boat overthe line. it will it take to get the boat over the line. it is happening in the — over the line. it is happening in the cloak room, one of the rutes— in the cloak room, one of the rules in— in the cloak room, one of the rules in congresses you cannot take _ rules in congresses you cannot take a — rules in congresses you cannot take a cell— rules in congresses you cannot take a cell phone onto the floor— take a cell phone onto the floor although i have noticed in some _ floor although i have noticed in some of the state of the union _ in some of the state of the union address recently some members break that rule, some of the _ members break that rule, some of the newer one so hopefully the speaker will crack down on that as — the speaker will crack down on that as a — the speaker will crack down on that as a traditional list. but you step _ that as a traditional list. but you step out and have a conversation and they went ahead — conversation and they went ahead and changed their votes and it— ahead and changed their votes and it looks good for their constituents and gives them swag — constituents and gives them swag and gives the republicans the opportunity to do what the congressman was saying, it is time — congressman was saying, it is time to— congressman was saying, it is time to govern. he got the decision— time to govern. he got the decision on the first ballot so it is— decision on the first ballot so it is not— decision on the first ballot so it is not a _ decision on the first ballot so it is not a harm to the party and — it is not a harm to the party and it— it is not a harm to the party and it is— it is not a harm to the party and it is a _ it is not a harm to the party and it is a benefit that not everyone is marching in lockstep as to what president trump — lockstep as to what president trump is _ lockstep as to what president trump is one thing. it is lockstep as to what president trump is one thing.— trump is one thing. it is part of natural — trump is one thing. it is part of natural process _ trump is one thing. it is part of natural process negotiate | of natural process negotiate with the speaker and i remember when nancy pelosi in 2018 have to cut deals with some of those

on the left of the party so it is part of the natural process that mikejohnson has been through this afternoon. definitely. it is natural and we want _ definitely. it is natural and we want a little bit of theatre, drama to our politics, not too — theatre, drama to our politics, not too much. i think we have had _ not too much. i think we have had too — not too much. i think we have had too much, but this is the exact— had too much, but this is the exact right kind to show things are working the way they are supposed to without people being — supposed to without people being steam—rolled, there is one — being steam—rolled, there is one person who voted his conscious and stuck to it and that — conscious and stuck to it and that was— conscious and stuck to it and that was there kentucky congressman, thomas massie who was known — congressman, thomas massie who was known for those things and he did — was known for those things and he did interview saying he would _ he did interview saying he would pull out his interviews before — would pull out his interviews before voting forjohnson so i think— before voting forjohnson so i think he — before voting forjohnson so i think he did not get a phone call — think he did not get a phone call. , call. the thing is there were six others — call. the thing is there were six others who _ call. the thing is there were six others who did - call. the thing is there were six others who did not - call. the thing is there were six others who did not vote | call. the thing is there were l six others who did not vote on the first call and did vote for johnson before the gavel came down, which tells me there is a hard—line group of 12 or so republicans who were part of that freedom caucus. who want something for mikejohnson that

he cannot give them. as he suggests, they once a cut in spending but that is not necessarily what the president wants. i necessarily what the president wants. , ., , wants. i will tell you this. that block— wants. i will tell you this. that block of _ wants. i will tell you this. that block of nine - wants. i will tell you this. that block of nine or - wants. i will tell you this. that block of nine or 12 i wants. i will tell you this. j that block of nine or 12 or going to be very influential. however, in the past, that block of nine did not have donaldj trump as president of the united states. so come january 20 that block of nine or 12 if they decide to play the other side or make some waves, i can guarantee you that president trump is going to not be very happy, he is going to make calls, the president has a mandate. the american people voted for him, all of the swing states voted for him and he has his agenda in that agenda is going to move forward quickly. the tax cuts, sealing the border, deporting illegal criminal aliens, those things are going to happen quickly.

obviously the nomination of his cabinet and to the appointment of the cabinet, excuse me of the confirmation of the appointment