House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) brags that Donald Trump has him covered, in the midst of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s threats to boot him from office.
In a recent Fox News "Sunday Morning Futures" interview with anchor Maria Bartiromo, Johnson claims that he spent hours with the former president on Friday. He elaborated on their long-standing relationship, wherein they speak multiple times a day, saying, “He’s 100 percent with me!”
Johnson’s claims seem to track, as Politico reported that Trump and his allies disagreed with Greene’s characterization of Johnson. “One hundred percent distraction. Unwanted. And just stupid,” one Trump insider said Wednesday night.
Another person close to Trump said that Greene was not being “constructive,” and that “The internal fighting is not appreciated by [Trump].”
The Republican Party’s deeper concerns lie with the consequences of Johnson’s removal. This would create a black hole in the power structure, when a sense of unity is integral to the party’s sustenance.
“Even if Greene’s effort is foiled, most likely with Democratic help, there’s a clear understanding that Johnson’s position in the party would be greatly hobbled — and that a weakened speaker means a weakened GOP apparatus,” Politico reported.
Johnson highlighted Greene’s failure to notice the fight on the border and added that it would be counterproductive to the GOP cause to allow a government shutdown. He extrapolated that this would affect TSA agents, Border Patrol agents, and troops — all of whom would not get paid.
Trump extended his vote of confidence in Johnson during a press conference on Friday, saying, “I think he’s doing a very good job. He’s doing about as good as you’re going to do. And I’m sure that Marjorie understands that.”
