US House Rejects Trump-Backed Speaker Mike Johnson In First Ballot

The new US Congress was thrown into chaos on its first day Friday as rebel right-wing Republicans defied incoming president Donald Trump to block Mike Johnson from returning as speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Louisiana congressman -- who was boosted by several messages of support from Trump -- needed a simple majority to be elected as Washington's top legislator, who presides over House business and is second in line to the presidency.

But divided Republicans failed to elect a speaker in the first round of voting -- raising fears of a repeat of the chaos of the last two years of their House rule -- after a nail-biting ballot that earned blanket coverage across US television networks.