Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is not holding back in her quest to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from his leadership position. In a scathing five-page memo distributed to her colleagues, Greene laid out her case against Johnson, accusing him of advancing President Biden’s agenda and betraying Republican values.
Greene warned her fellow Republicans that they risked losing touch with their voters if they continued to tolerate Johnson’s leadership, calling it a “complete and total surrender.” She made it clear that she intends to follow through on her threat to call a vote on unseating him, stating, “If these actions by the leader of our conference continue, then we are not a Republican Party — we are a uniparty that is hellbent on remaining on the path of self-inflicted destruction.”
The timing of Greene’s intensified threat is crucial, as Johnson is set to bring up an emergency national security spending package that includes aid to Ukraine, a move that has angered the far right. Greene criticized Johnson for negotiating with Democrats on major legislation and accused him of angering the Republican base.
Despite Johnson’s efforts to cool tensions with Greene during a two-week recess, she has made it clear that she will not be easily mollified. She criticized Johnson for failing to defund what she called a “witch hunt” against former President Trump and accused him of not trying to stop a “death sentence” for Trump.
Greene’s letter to her colleagues and her public statements indicate that she sees the Ukraine aid bill as a “red line” for ousting Johnson. She questioned whether Johnson was being blackmailed to bring up the bill and criticized his leadership style.
It remains to be seen whether Greene’s arguments will persuade her colleagues to support her in ousting Johnson. Some hard-right members have voiced skepticism about a second move to remove a speaker, but Greene is determined to push forward with her efforts to shake up Republican leadership.
