GOP rebels pushing to boot Speaker Johnson mum after Trump defends him

The three House Republican rebels pushing to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., are silent on former President Trump's support for the embattled congressional leader.

Roughly just six months after winning the speaker's gavel following three weeks of chaos over the ouster of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Johnson is already under threat of losing the position after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., filed a resolution for a House-wide vote on his leadership, known as a motion to vacate the chair.

Two more lawmakers, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., signed onto her resolution in protest of Johnson's $95 billion foreign aid plan, which included funds for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific, but nothing on the U.S. border, much to some conservatives' chagrin.

Johnson got some key backup earlier this week when Trump came to his defense, arguing Johnson is doing the best he can with a razor-thin House GOP majority.

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"It’s not like he can go and do whatever he wants to do. I think he’s a very good person. You know, he stood very strongly with me on NATO when I said NATO has to pay up," Trump told radio host John Fredericks after his Monday court appearance. "It’s a tough situation when you have what, I think, is a very good man. I think he’s trying very hard. And again, we’ve got to have a big election."

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Gosar's office told Fox News Digital he had "no comment" on Trump's defense of Johnson. Gosar has been one of Trump's most ardent supporters in Congress.

Spokespeople for Greene and Massie similarly had nothing to share. Fox News Digital attempted to reach both offices multiple times for comment on Trump's remarks but did not get responses.

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Like Gosar, Greene has been a top Trump ally in Congress and a popular surrogate for him on the campaign trail. She is also been one of Johnson's fiercest critics over his bipartisan work on issues like government spending and foreign aid.

Massie has had a significantly frostier relationship with the former president, having supported his GOP primary rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, before DeSantis dropped out of the race earlier this year.

The Kentucky Republican has most recently accused Trump of "bullying" fellow Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., when he called for a primary challenger to take her down.

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Both Greene and Massie, however, have signaled that they are unrepentant about their threats against Johnson in the days since Trump's defense.

"It’s baffling hearing the establishment complain that it’s too much drama, too hard, and too risky to go through another Speaker race. Meanwhile, Americans are getting kicked in the teeth from the ridiculous drama inflicted on them from pathetic politicians in Washington," Greene wrote Tuesday on X. "You know what Americans think is hard? Paying their bills. You know what Americans think is risky? Doing absolutely nothing but pass messaging bills about the daily deadly border invasion."

Massie wrote on X that same day, "The weakest argument in defense of Speaker Johnson is ‘It’s a razor thin majority; you can’t get everything you want.’ We don’t expect to get everything, but we also won’t tolerate complete & total surrender."

All eyes are on Greene. For now, there is nothing compelling House leaders to bring her motion up for a vote. If she declares it a "privileged resolution," lawmakers would be forced to take it up within two legislative days.

A majority of House Republican lawmakers have already signaled that they do not have the appetite for another period of upheaval like what followed McCarthy's ouster.

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson's office and the Trump campaign for comment.

Original article source: GOP rebels pushing to boot Speaker Johnson mum after Trump defends him