Last week, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie held a press conference to discuss their bid to remove Speaker Mike Johnson from his position. Despite failing in an official effort to oust Johnson by a margin of 359-43 in a House vote, 11 House Republicans voted against tabling the motion, choosing instead to allow debate on the matter.
It is worth noting that most lawmakers who supported Greene were Democrats who did not agree with Johnson’s political views. The attempt to oust Johnson was somewhat unexpected, as Greene had appeared to back off on her threat just a day before forcing the vote.
Former President Donald Trump expressed his love for Greene but stated his doubt regarding the timing of the ouster bid. Greene’s resolution was cosponsored by only two other Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie and Paul Gosar. Seven Democrats voted “present” rather than taking a side, indicating their lack of support for the effort to remove Johnson.
Ultimately, the effort to remove Johnson was anticipated to fail as Democratic leaders had already decided to table the motion. 163 Democrats voted in favor of tabling it, with 32 Democrats choosing to support Greene’s effort due to their opposition to Johnson’s politics. The outcome of Greene’s future attempts at removing Johnson remains uncertain, but it is clear that she has strong support among some members of Congress who do not agree with him politically.
