Rep. Mike Johnson is set to become the first House Speaker in history to display George Washington’s gavel during the State of the Union Address, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society announced Tuesday. “The historic Gavel was first used in 1793 to lay the cornerstone of the United States Capitol building: ‘The People’s House’ and the physical manifestation of our democracy,” the group said in a news release. Since then, the gavel has been under the care of Potomac Lodge No. 5, the oldest masonic lodge in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Capitol Historical Society said it worked with the lodge and Johnson’s office to get the gavel to the rostrum for President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union Address of his second term, which marks the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. Johnson touted the Trump administration’s policies in an X post ahead of the address. “No matter how many awkward, pointless protests Democrats try to force, the American people will see all of the incredible successes reflected this evening—and feel them in the months to come,” he said.
