Trump: Now Is ‘Not the Time’ to Oust Speaker Mike Johnson

While supportive of Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and her fighting spirit, former President Donald Trump said that now was not the right time for the Republican Party to attempt to remove Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, as she tried to do on Wednesday.

Ms. Greene forced a vote on a motion to vacate on Wednesday, March 8, which she initially proposed in March after Johnson aligned with Democrats to fund the government and allocated $61 billion in new aid for Ukraine’s war effort against Russia.

Democrats joined Republicans to approve its shelving in a 359 to 43 vote, with eleven Republicans voting to move forward with the ouster attempt.

Trump Lightly Criticizes Greene

Mr. Trump, in a post urging Republicans to vote to table the motion to vacate by Ms. Greene, said the slim majority in the House was a reason he believed now was the wrong time to try to remove Mr. Johnson.

“With a Majority of One, shortly growing to three or four, we’re not in a position of voting on a Motion to Vacate,” Mr. Trump said. “At some point, we may very well be, but this is not the time.”

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President Trump went on to say that he is leading in presidential polls over incumbent Joe Biden “by a lot” both nationally and in key swing states. He said polls also show the GOP doing well in the Senate and that he believed the party would also do well in House races in the fall.

“But if we show DISUNITY, which will be portrayed as CHAOS, it will negatively affect everything,” President Trump added. “Mike Johnson is a good man who is trying very hard. I also wish certain things were done over the last period of two months, but we will get them done, together.”

Greene’s Reaction

Ms. Greene, who has been an ardent supporter of President Trump, often donning his signature “Make America Great Again” red hats even on the House floor, said President Trump was not wrong in his statement.

The Georgia lawmaker did not say whether she would put forth another motion to vacate.

The day before the vote, Mr. Greene said in a post on social media platform X that she was proud to have the support of President Trump and that he had her support.

“I’m fighting for President Trump, our Republican majority, and every person who believes in our America First agenda,” she said.

Ms. Greene decried those who voted to save Mr. Johnson, saying it was an example of Washington’s “uniparty” on full display. She was even booed by members of her party as she brought the resolution to the floor.

The Georgia lawmaker was accompanied by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), one of two Republicans who openly expressed support for the measure.

Following the vote, in remarks to the reporters, Mr. Johnson expressed thanks to his colleagues who voted to kill the motion to vacate, which he called “misguided” and a “distraction.”

Mr. Johnson said that it is time to move on to solving issues in the United States and electing former President Donald Trump in November.

Ms. Greene, on the House floor, cited a series of alleged conservative failures by Mr. Johnson, alleging that he had “aided and abetted the Biden administration in destroying our country.”

These included his move to allow a vote on a motion to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from the lower chamber, marking the first time in U.S. history that a member has been expelled without a prior conviction for a crime.

Ms. Greene also cited his move to pass a 1,000-page, $1.2 trillion government funding package after giving lawmakers less than 72 hours to consider it, as required by internal rules.

The Georgia Republican also noted that Mr. Johnson’s move to pass billions in foreign aid for Ukraine came without any demands on border security, effectively yielding any leverage Republicans had over the issue.

She also noted Mr. Johnson’s crucial vote to kill a warrant requirement for the reauthorization of a controversial surveillance power.

Joseph Lord and Jackson Richman contributed to this report.