Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is a woman with few followers — on Capitol Hill, anyway. And her lack of support within her conference has made ousting House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from his perch an exercise in futility, at least for now.
Greene has been unable to grow the number of backers in her effort to remove Johnson. Only two of her House colleagues have publicly said they support her effort: Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.).
She called on members this month to go home and hear from their constituents. They did. And no one else signed on to her effort.
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Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said constituents in his red district are worried about their bills and the supply chain. “Only in D.C. is this an issue,” he said.
Putting a nail in the coffin of Greene’s effort: Democrats announced yesterday morning they would vote to table her promised motion to vacate, saying the effort “will not succeed.” While there is some consternation among Democrats for helping someone who pushed efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the 2020 election, they say they will be the adults in the room to prevent additional chaos in the House.
She was ousted from the Freedom Caucus in July, alienating her natural allies on Capitol Hill by aligning herself with then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and publicly criticizing those who challenged him. They viewed her change of allegiance as self-serving and unprincipled.
She has since been unable to find a new cohort of allies.
Greene’s effort backfired amid her persistent threats with no follow through. Even those who have their own concerns about Johnson’s leadership are annoyed at her antics, calling them self-serving, attention-seeking and pointless just six months from Election Day.
Despite being a close ally of former president Donald Trump, Greene doesn’t have his backing on this.
Not only did Trump come to Johnson’s defense as recently as last week, at a closed-door GOP meeting yesterday morning, Trump’s newly appointed chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Whatley, also told Republicans that he and Trump would like to see the conference stay united, throwing cold water on Greene’s effort to trigger a motion to vacate, according to three people in the room.
In the words of a previous Republican speaker, John Boehner (Ohio), who resigned before he risked being ousted: “a leader without followers is simply a man taking a walk.” Or in this instance: simply a woman taking a walk.
Even Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), who was one of the eight who voted to remove McCarthy and has been highly critical of Johnson, remains uncommitted. “What’s really the point? I mean, I guess other than to show massive frustration, disappointment,” he said.
But Rep. Marcus Molinaro (N.Y.), who represents a swing district, said Greene’s efforts have been “galvanizing” in growing Republican opposition to ousting an unpopular speaker.
“People have ruled him out for any leadership position in the next Congress,” one senior Republican aide said. “But his job is safe for now.”
“We don’t want to go through another round like October,” said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), a member of the Freedom Caucus, referring to the three weeks it took to find a new speaker after ousting McCarthy.
Greene has been unable to grow the number of backers in her effort to remove Johnson. Only two of her House colleagues have publicly said they support her effort: Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.).
She called on members this month to go home and hear from their constituents. They did. And no one else signed on to her effort.
Follow Election 2024
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said constituents in his red district are worried about their bills and the supply chain. “Only in D.C. is this an issue,” he said.
Putting a nail in the coffin of Greene’s effort: Democrats announced yesterday morning they would vote to table her promised motion to vacate, saying the effort “will not succeed.” While there is some consternation among Democrats for helping someone who pushed efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the 2020 election, they say they will be the adults in the room to prevent additional chaos in the House.
MTG’s lack of support
Greene’s effort has failed to take off because, in part, Republicans privately say she is the wrong messenger.She was ousted from the Freedom Caucus in July, alienating her natural allies on Capitol Hill by aligning herself with then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and publicly criticizing those who challenged him. They viewed her change of allegiance as self-serving and unprincipled.
She has since been unable to find a new cohort of allies.
Greene’s effort backfired amid her persistent threats with no follow through. Even those who have their own concerns about Johnson’s leadership are annoyed at her antics, calling them self-serving, attention-seeking and pointless just six months from Election Day.
- “There are two people who are pushing that are the same people who viciously attack those who challenged Speaker McCarthy … accusing them of chaos and dishonesty and not having a plan,” Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), chair of the Freedom Caucus and one of the people Greene criticized, said of Greene and Massie this month.
Despite being a close ally of former president Donald Trump, Greene doesn’t have his backing on this.
Not only did Trump come to Johnson’s defense as recently as last week, at a closed-door GOP meeting yesterday morning, Trump’s newly appointed chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Whatley, also told Republicans that he and Trump would like to see the conference stay united, throwing cold water on Greene’s effort to trigger a motion to vacate, according to three people in the room.
In the words of a previous Republican speaker, John Boehner (Ohio), who resigned before he risked being ousted: “a leader without followers is simply a man taking a walk.” Or in this instance: simply a woman taking a walk.
Even Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), who was one of the eight who voted to remove McCarthy and has been highly critical of Johnson, remains uncommitted. “What’s really the point? I mean, I guess other than to show massive frustration, disappointment,” he said.
Johnson’s standing
Greene’s lack of support doesn’t necessarily mean that Johnson is in good standing with his colleagues. Republicans remain frustrated with Johnson’s leadership, including his reluctance to make decisions, punish rabble-rousers and exert control over the conference.But Rep. Marcus Molinaro (N.Y.), who represents a swing district, said Greene’s efforts have been “galvanizing” in growing Republican opposition to ousting an unpopular speaker.
- “It really needs to come to an end. I mean, it’s truly a ridiculous and absurd way,” Molinaro said. “And this consistent effort to hold the body hostage just undermines Congress and undermines the country and undermines our ability to do the work that we’re saying we’re going to do.”
“People have ruled him out for any leadership position in the next Congress,” one senior Republican aide said. “But his job is safe for now.”
“We don’t want to go through another round like October,” said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), a member of the Freedom Caucus, referring to the three weeks it took to find a new speaker after ousting McCarthy.
