Republican Mike Johnson re-elected as U.S. House Speaker after dramatic vote [Video]

Republican Mike Johnson narrowly won re-election Friday to the U.S. House speakership on a first ballot, overcoming hard-right GOP holdouts after a tense standoff and buoyed by a nod of support from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

The uneasy scene brought an ominous start to the first day of the new Congress. A small collection of hardline Republicans convened in the back of the House chamber, one by one declining to vote or choosing another lawmaker for the position.

Johnson’s face turned grim, acknowledging the fresh turmoil and signalling trouble ahead under unified GOP control of Washington. 

In the end, however, Johnson was able to flip two remaining holdouts who switched to support him, drawing applause from Republicans. The tally …