- The Washington Times - Wednesday, April 10, 2024

House Speaker Mike Johnson and former President Donald Trump will be getting together for a joint press conference on election integrity on Friday, according to reports.

The event will be held at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. It comes as the embattled Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, aims to show off his ties to Mr. Trump. He is facing a motion to vacate brought by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close ally of the former president.

Ms. Greene, Georgia Republican, filed the motion to vacate against Mr. Johnson last month as retaliation for supporting a bipartisan government funding bill, but has not yet called for a vote on it.

The meeting also comes as Mr. Trump heatedly urged House Republicans to kill a proposed reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the government’s main tool for conducting surveillance. A vote in the House to proceed to FISA Section 702 renewal failed Wednesday after Mr. Trump called for its defeat.

Ms. Greene slammed Mr. Johnson Wednesday for urging lawmakers to support the renewal of Section 702.

“Republicans do not believe in warrantless spying on Americans,” she wrote on X. “Speaker Mike Johnson is urging members to reauthorize FISA after President Trump said: KILL FISA. It’s like asking the Deep State to hold itself accountable after it has abused the American people’s trust.”

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.

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