Speaker Mike Johnson attends a press conference at the Capitol yesterday. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is calling her shot on Mike Johnson, saying his speakership is over either this week or when the GOP next has the House majority.
Why it matters: Greene wants Johnson gone now. But she's signaling she won't be deterred if she loses an initial motion to vacate fight.
Driving the news: Conservative Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) joined Greene in her effort to oust Johnson yesterday after he announced plans to hold votes on multiple foreign aid bills (for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan), Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports.
- Johnson — facing a bruising, sooner-or-later fight to hold onto the speakership — categorically refused to resign.
- Greene has threatened to trigger a motion to vacate vote if Johnson moves forward with a Ukraine aid package.
"The reality for Mike Johnson that he just is not accepting or refusing to accept publicly at least is whether it happens two weeks from now, two months from now, or in the next majority, he will not be speaker," Greene told Breitbart News.
- "There may be people who might not vote to vacate him right now, but they will never vote for him to be speaker next Congress."
The intrigue: Some centrist Democrats have indicated they would bail out Johnson if he brings Ukraine aid to the floor.
- But Greene could repeatedly force votes to oust the speaker after an aid bill passes — when he'd be more vulnerable.
Reality check: Greene's position isn't an outlandish view among House Republicans, many of whom were OK with Johnson under the assumption he was a caretaker speaker.
- Even Republicans who are aligned with Greene might not want to repeat the 22 days of chaos that followed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ousting.