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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., quickly responded to his colleagues’ calls for his resignation during a press conference on Tuesday.
“I am not resigning,” the newly-elected Speaker said. “And it is, in my view, an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply here trying to do our jobs.”
Slamming ongoing efforts by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to remove him, Johnson said they are not “helpful” to the cause or country. Massie on Tuesday co-sponsored Greene’s motion to vacate Johnson and called on the Speaker to “pre-announce” his resignation.
Interestingly, Johnson also notes that the motion to vacate “does not help Republicans advance our agenda, which is in the best interest of the American people.” He names securing the border and sound governance as examples of that agenda.
However, there is vast disagreement among the GOP over what that agenda should be. Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie, as well as Sens. Rand Paul and J.D. Vance, have all expressed discontent with Johnson’s priorities.
As the first voice to oppose Johnson, Greene filed the motion to vacate in March and sent a letter to her colleagues detailing her decision. The congresswoman wrote on X, “The Republican Speaker should not be executing the Democrat’s agenda.”
The five-page letter lists various actions that have sown distrust between Johnson and strong America First representatives. Some of these include passing the second minibus with one day’s notice to Congress to review a 1,000-page bill, which Greene says “fully funded” Biden’s border invasion, climate agenda, trans agenda, abortion, DOJ, and more Democrat priorities.
Just recently, Johnson acted as the tie-breaking vote to reauthorize the warrantless FISA program, which infuriated many Republicans who strongly oppose how it has been illegally weaponized against Americans.
Johnson has made it clear that he is here for the battle despite staunch disapproval from MAGA Republicans. He has attempted to position himself close to President Donald J. Trump with a press conference last Friday at Mar-a-Lago. He has also promoted some issues that the MAGA base cares about, like the release of more Jan. 6 tapes and election integrity.
This may not be enough for him to keep his seat as Republicans grow dissatisfied with his leadership.
