MAGA rebels kill Johnson and Trump's Plan B
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There's only one upside after Thursday night's spectacular failure for House Speaker Mike Johnson, President-elect Trump and Elon Musk: They now have a long list of Republicans who dared to defy them.
Why it matters: Johnson is learning what a co-speakership with Trump — and to an extent, Musk — will look like.
- It's obvious Trump can kill a bill.
- It's less clear whether Trump or Musk can get legislation across the finish line by publicly browbeating GOP lawmakers.
🗳 Johnson lost 38 Republican votes and gained just two Democratic ones on a Trump-endorsed plan to fund the government for three months and suspend the debt ceiling for two years.
- The final 174-235 tally is a disaster for leadership's Plan B.
- Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said Thursday they won't try their luck with the House Rules Committee on a party-line vote.
Now comes Plan C — yet to be named — after Republicans wasted a day negotiating with themselves.
- The hard talks with House and Senate Democrats have yet to happen and the government shuts down in just over 24 hours.
Zoom in: Trump is sparking a confrontation with his closest allies in Congress, with Johnson caught in the middle.
- Freedom Caucus members are both MAGA meat-eaters and big-time opponents of raising the debt ceiling.
- Now their president-elect is asking for a blank check and threatening primaries for any holdouts.
- He called for a primary challenge to Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who responded by calling the Trump-blessed bill "embarrassing" and "shameful." Roy voted no on the bill.
Other GOP "no" votes were a Freedom Caucus who's who:
- It includes Andy Ogles and Tim Burchett of Tennessee; Ralph Norman of South Carolina; Bob Good of Virginia; Rich McCormick of Georgia; and Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona.
The bottom line: The rough reality for Johnson is that he needs Democratic votes to advance legislation — and Republican votes to remain speaker.
- On Thursday he realized how short he may be on both.
