Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has found himself the target of yet another motion to vacate in the House.
This time, however, Democrats are coming to his aid, with Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (R-CA) recently expressing a vote of confidence for the Republican Speaker.
Talking Points…
- Johnson Under Attack
- Dems save the day
- Analysis
Several weeks ago, it became clear that Freedom Caucus members were unhappy with Johnson's business-as-usual approach in the House. Although he had been given plenty of leash after he was elected to replace McCarthy, that leash has shortened considerably since.
After Rep. Greene (R-GA) announced that she was going to make a motion to vacate, it appeared that the House was destined to repeat McCarthy's ouster. However, it was immediately clear that Greene lacked the support she would need in the GOP to make this happen. In recent weeks, that changed, as a handful of members, as well as a few Republican senators, are now siding with Greene.
For Greene's plan to work, however, she would need the full support of the Democrat caucus, which she does not have, as numerous high-profile and powerful Democrats have made clear. Leadership in the party has already stated that it will block Greene's effort to remove Johnson, making him safe for the time being.
Johnson's tenure as Speaker was saved by Minority Leader Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who announced that enough was enough and that he would not allow MAGA to hold House proceedings hostage again. He did this mainly because Johnson has been caving to Democrats, effectively making Jeffries the shadow Speaker of the House.
With Johnson now fully under attack by Republicans, Donald Trump tried to calm the storm by saying that Johnson was doing everything he could under the circumstances. Ironically, the very circumstances of which Trump spoke were due to a disastrous 2022 cycle where MAGA Republicans were defeated in key battleground states. These were, for the most part, Trump-endorsed candidates who failed to win the general election.
Even with all the resistance, Johnson's position is safe. Even Nancy Pelosi came out to support the plan to keep Johnson in place. Pelosi talked to the media to explain her position on this…
Pelosi defends Jeffries decision to protect Johnson. Says Democrats “support the integrity of the House of Representatives and will not let it be littered up by nonsense.” pic.twitter.com/aoyeFAu1RF
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) May 6, 2024
Pelosi's support drew immediate criticism, as was expected, by Rep. Greene. She immediately responded:
"The entire Democrat Party is lining up behind Mike Johnson. First, it was the entire leadership team for the Democrats.
"Now, Nancy Pelosi, who impeached President Trump TWICE, has given Johnson her seal of approval. What deal has been made??"
Johnson may survive Greene's motion to vacate, but this will most assuredly be the end of his time as Speaker. If Republicans somehow hold onto the House, and that will be a massive challenge at this point, there is no way Johnson will get the support needed to keep the gavel in 2025. So, the question then becomes, who can unite the part to hold the gavel? I do not have that answer, and I am not sure anyone does because of the current divide in the GOP's House caucus.
