President-elect Trump reasserted his power over the House GOP conference during Friday’s whirlwind Speaker vote, proving that, despite some recent doubts, he still has significant sway over Republicans on Capitol Hill.

But the handful of conservative dissidents still had no realistic path to the speakership themselves. They had no viable alternative, which is how they wound up with Johnson in the first place after ousting former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023.

Only one Republican representative has confirmed that he will oppose Mike Johnson’s return as House speaker, but a few other conservatives have remained undecided.