Marjorie Taylor Greene’s threat to force the removal of Republican US House speaker Mike Johnson is being taken seriously by her team, with her deputy chief of staff dismissing any suggestion that she might back down.
Greene filed the motion to vacate more than a month ago after Johnson oversaw the passage of a government spending bill with Democratic support.
Since then, Johnson has further angered far-right Republicans by overseeing the passage of aid to Ukraine and the reauthorization of government surveillance powers, among other moves reliant on Democratic support or seen as too conciliatory to the other party.
Hillary Clinton (Credits: CNN)
Despite Johnson’s hard-right record and support from former President Donald Trump, he faces a precarious situation with a tiny majority in the House. However, Democrats are expected to vote to keep him in his post if Greene decides to move forward with her threat.
There are concerns among Democrats that allowing Greene to succeed in removing the speaker would be a powerful and unacceptable moment. Some Democrats have vowed not to let Greene have such an opportunity, with one Florida Democrat stating that they won’t even allow her to name a post office.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (Credits: PBS)
It appears likely that Greene will proceed with her move to remove Johnson, possibly to avoid appearing weak or backing down. She has criticized Johnson for his actions, accusing him of betraying Republican voters and suggesting that his days as speaker are numbered.
Greene is supported in her efforts by fellow Republican representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona. Massie criticized Johnson for his role in passing various measures, including a government spending bill, the reauthorization of surveillance powers, and funding for Ukraine.
