**Trump's Cabinet Picks Could Threaten GOP’s Slim House Majority**

President-elect Donald J. Trump's efforts to populate his administration with loyal congressional members are complicating the Republican Party's ability to maintain its expected narrow majority in the House of Representatives. As Trump has already named two GOP representatives to important national security roles, party leaders are stressing that they cannot afford to lose additional members.

Speaker Mike Johnson, who has developed a significant rapport with Trump, highlighted the vulnerability of the situation during a press briefing. "I don't expect that we will have more members leaving, but I'll leave that up to him," Johnson noted as Congress reconvened following the election.

Currently, the control of the House hangs in the balance, with many competitive races still unresolved. Nevertheless, Republicans are poised to retain their majority by a marginal count. By Tuesday afternoon, the GOP had secured 214 seats to the Democrats’ 205, with 218 needed for a majority. Most political strategists predict that Republicans will end up with only a small edge, possibly just a few seats over the necessary threshold.

The precarious majority means any additional appointments from House members to Trump's administration could jeopardize the GOP's hold. Johnson emphasized the critical nature of every vote, stating, "Every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor." He added that Trump is aware of the delicate numbers game they are playing.

Given these stakes, GOP leadership is cautious about any further reductions in their House ranks, understanding that even a slight shift could turn the tide against them.