Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, is trying to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from power, which showcases a larger trend during her time in Congress. She represents the MAGA movement but has alienated many fellow conservatives to get to where she is.
Many Republican hard-liners are angry with Johnson for compromising with Democrats on major legislation, and they have vowed not to let him lead the party next year.
Greene's attempt to remove Johnson has emphasized the deep divisions in the GOP, and her struggle to find support within the party's conservative wing has shown that these divisions exist there as well. Even Johnson's most vocal critics within the conservative wing have refused to support Greene's motion to vacate resolution.
There are numerous reasons for this, some political and some personal, but they all show that Greene is increasingly isolated, even among the hard-line populists who share her goal of changing Washington.
According to Rep. Bob Good, chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Greene is essentially acting alone, with only one or two others expressing support for her actions. Good is not a fan of Greene but reflects a broader sentiment among hard-liners who have set their political brand by opposing their own leadership.
Good, despite disagreeing with Johnson's recent legislative decisions, opposes the current ouster effort. He believes that Greene's move, so close to the elections, would undermine the Republicans' chances of keeping control of the House next year and give the Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, more leverage.
Many conservatives argue that Greene's action, coming so close to the elections, would harm the Republicans' chances of keeping control of the House next year while strengthening the position of Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader.
Good believes that the time for a Speaker battle is after the election, not six months prior. He emphasizes the need to focus on expanding the House majority, winning back the Senate, and reelecting President Trump.
As a result, Greene has only garnered support from two other conservatives — Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) — leading to the expectation that her resolution will fail on the chamber floor with Democratic votes.
It's uncertain when or if Greene will follow through with her promise to bring the vacate motion to the floor. She and Massie met with Johnson for almost two hours on Monday, agreeing to meet again on Tuesday morning.
Greene only managed to secure the support of two other conservatives, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), for her vacate resolution. It's likely to fail on the chamber floor with the help of Democratic votes.
It's not clear when, or if, Greene will carry out her promise to bring her vacate motion to the floor. She and Massie met with Johnson for almost two hours on Monday and agreed to meet again on Tuesday morning.
She said she has been patient, diligent, steady, and focused on the facts and that hasn't changed. She had a long discussion with the Speaker in his office about ways to move forward for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives. They're talking again tomorrow based on today's discussion.
Johnson came out with a similarly unclear account.
He mentioned discussing some ideas and planning to meet again tomorrow. He expressed understanding and shared the frustration.
According to her supporters, Greene is acting more courageously than her conservative critics, being the lone voice holding GOP leaders accountable when they don't fight hard enough for the party’s priorities. Massie described her as the most serious lawmaker in Congress.
Massie stated that she has taken a very reasonable approach, giving the Speaker multiple chances to resign, and instead he's holding onto power by relying on Democrats.
However, the animosity between Greene and other conservative firebrands in the GOP conference has deeper roots than the current debate over Johnson’s fate.
At the end of the last Congress, Greene’s relationship with the right flank of the GOP conference started to deteriorate when she emerged as one of McCarthy’s top supporters during his quest for the Speakership, putting her in direct opposition to hard-line conservatives.
Tensions reached a breaking point in July when the Freedom Caucus voted to remove Greene from the group due to her cozy relationship with leadership and disagreements with other conservative lawmakers, including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). She even insulted Boebert on the House floor.
Since then, Greene has criticized her conservative colleagues, denouncing the group she used to champion and accusing her fellow hard-line Republicans of not being conservative enough. She referred to her fellow hard-line Republicans as “the burn-it-all-down caucus.” The feuding frequently became public, garnering attention and solidifying Greene’s reputation as a legislator who acts independently and causes conflict across party lines.
For example, she famously clashed with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)
over which of them promoted the impeachment of President Biden more. She criticized Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a prominent Freedom Caucus member known for his goatee, after he opposed her effort to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), mocking him as “Colonel Sanders.” Most recently, she insulted Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) for not supporting an early version of her resolution to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. (Issa ultimately voted for the impeachment on the floor.) Greene is set to intensify her internal offensive as she moves forward with her ouster effort. She’s already criticizing GOP lawmakers who plan to oppose her move, accusing them of supporting a Democratic Speaker, which will deepen the divide within the right flank of the GOP conference.
Greene said if this vote doesn't work and the whole conference and Congress support the uniparty, then it's not a failure, it's a win for the American people. She thinks it's important to have a list of names because they deserve it.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's effort to remove Speaker Mike Johnson from power shows how she has often clashed with other conservatives in Congress. She is seen as a leader of the MAGA movement, but she has also pushed away many fellow conservatives.
