Conservative duo, under pressure from Trump, backs down from threat to oust House speaker

Two hard-line conservatives leading the charge to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson have backed off from an attempt to push him out this week as they face pressure by former President Donald Trump. 

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican, and Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, held their second meeting in two days on Tuesday with Mr. Johnson to try to resolve their complaints about his leadership, and specifically, their view that he has capitulated to Democrats on top conservative priorities.

Ms. Greene, who spoke to Mr. Trump on Sunday and top RNC officials last week about her bid to remove Mr. Johnson, softened her earlier threat to “absolutely” force the vote this week.

She said whether she brings up the motion “is up to Mike Johnson,” and said she’s awaiting a response from him, “hopefully soon,” to a list of her demands.  

Ms. Greene and Mr. Massie presented a list that they say must be met to stave off a vote on the Louisiana Republican’s speakership.

“I expect to walk into his office and for him to say ‘here’s my action items, here’s what I am going to do,’” Ms. Greene told reporters after the meeting. 

Ms. Greene and Mr. Massie want Mr. Johnson to pledge to keep legislation off the floor unless it is backed by a majority of Republicans. The pair are also calling for him to ensure that spending legislation for fiscal 2025 cuts funding for the Justice Department’s special counsel investigations into Mr. Trump and includes a 1% reduction in overall federal funding.

Both Ms. Green and Mr. Massie say Mr. Johnson has handed Democrats wins on major legislation, including a foreign aid package that provided $61 billion to Ukraine that the majority of Republicans voted against and most Democrats supported.

“If he can’t get these [demands] done, but he can deliver the full Democrat agenda easily like that in a month for [Democratic Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden,” she said, “then how can he possibly be our Republican Speaker?” 

Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, a third Republican lawmaker who said he would vote with Ms. Greene and Mr. Massie, was not in the meeting with Mr. Johnson. 

Ms. Greene has been under intense pressure by the RNC and the Trump campaign to drop her threat to Mr. Johnson.

While only a handful of Republicans at most would vote to remove Mr. Johnson, the GOP’s one-seat majority would require Democratic votes to save him from removal. Mr. Johnson and top Republican Party leaders say a vote to oust the speaker would bringing chaos to the House GOP and damage Republicans ahead of the 2024 election. 

Ms. Greene would not provide details about her conversation with the former president over the weekend.  

“I will tell you I love President Trump. My conversations with him are fantastic. And again, I’m not going to go into details. Want to know why? I’m not insecure about that and I don’t have to go into the details here with you guys,” Ms. Greene said.