Republican Says Trump Called Him After He Voted Against Speaker Johnson: ‘Look, I’m in the Middle of a Golf Game…’

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) told CNN Friday he changed his mind about supporting Mike Johnson’s continuing as House speaker after President-elect Donald Trump expressed his annoyance on the phone as he played a round of golf.

House Republicans met the threshold to allow the Louisiana Republican to retain the gavel Friday after two of three anti-Johnson GOP hardliners changed their votes.

Norman, who was among the holdouts, told CNN’s Manu Raju he spoke to Trump over the phone a number of times Friday, and in one of those calls, explained he was on the golf course.

The South Carolina Republican told Raju after Johnson was reelected speaker that Trump promised on one call that conservatives like him would “be at the table in negotiations” on policy.

‘He said – he said, ‘Look, I’m in the middle of a golf game.'” That was the first time I talked to him,'” Norman said of an earlier call. “He said, ‘Well, you did vote for Nikki Haley.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir, I did. We’re with you now. And I said, We will be with Mike Johnson.'”

Norman initially joined Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Keith Self (R-TX) in refusing to vote for Johnson to continue leading the House. Norman’s first vote was cast for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).

Per The Washington Post‘s Leigh Ann Caldwell, Norman and Self were put in touch with Trump by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and changed their minds.

“After it became clear that Johnson didn’t have the votes, Rep. Nancy Mace called Trump,” Caldwell reported. “She passed her phone to Norman, according to a person familiar with the interaction. Trump also spoke with Self. He helped convince both to change their votes for Johnson.”

• Massie said prior to Friday’s vote he would not vote for Johnson – even if he was subjected to torture.

Watch above via CNN.