By Bo Erickson, Richard Cowan and Katharine Jackson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Mike Johnson appeared to be falling short in his bid to retain the top post in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday,

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson fell short of winning reelection on a first ballot Friday, leaving the Republican leader’s future somewhat unclear as he tries to retain his position in the narrowly divided Congress.

The new Congress convenes Friday with one major task at hand — the election of the House speaker. But current Speaker Mike Johnson’s weak grip on the gavel threatens not only his own survival but President-elect Donald Trump’s ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations as Republicans sweep to power in Washington.