As you’ve probably heard by now, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is attempting to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson—who just got the job in October after the Freedom Caucus pushed out Kevin McCarthy—because she’s mad he’s attempting to send aid to Ukraine. Greene’s efforts have thus far included bizarrely labeling Johnson “a Democrat,” filing a motion to remove him, and calling his proposal to loan Ukraine money a “steaming pile of bullshit.” And unfortunately for Greene, a “steaming pile of bullshit” is basically what her colleagues are calling her attempt to boot the House leader.
After Greene sent a letter to Republicans on Tuesday laying out her reasoning for ousting Johnson, one GOP congressman told Axios that “most people are exhausted” by Greene’s antics, adding, “Don’t bother us. Airing your grievances is unnecessary.” Representative Larry Bucshon said he didn’t plan to read the letter or support Greene. Representative Mike Carey called the letter “worthless” and Greene’s threats “absolutely ridiculous.” Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good said, “I don’t have any comment on anything she does.” Earlier this month, after Greene claimed Johnson—who is antiabortion, anti gay marriage, and pro overturning the 2020 election—has the same politics as Nancy Pelosi, Representative Good told CNN, “Nobody cares what Marjorie Taylor Greene says or thinks. And she’s a one-man show. She’s grandstanding, and she wants attention.”
While that may be the case, as my colleague Eric Lutz pointed out last week, “Matt Gaetz’s pursuit to oust Kevin McCarthy began as grandstanding too; it ended with McCarthy losing his gavel and giving up his seat.” And even if Greene is unsuccessful, Republicans fear her campaign is still damaging to the party, which looked like a total joke last fall as it repeatedly failed to elect a new Speaker. “We don’t like this,” Representative Don Bacon told Axios of what Greene is doing. “We saw what happened in October and January. It’s wrong. It weakens the team. It creates anarchy, creates chaos.” (The Georgia congresswoman, whose entire brand is about seeking attention, insisted to reporters that that is not what is going on here, saying, per Axios, ”If I had wanted attention…I would’ve been on the bandwagon to oust Kevin McCarthy. I wasn’t a part of that. I support my conference.”
In related news, McCarthy repeated his claim that Gaetz led the effort to oust him from his leadership position to get revenge for the House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz. Speaking at an event at Georgetown University, McCarthy said he is no longer Speaker because “one person wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old.” (McCarthy added, “Did he do it? I don’t know.”) In a statement, Gaetz, who has long maintained his innocence, told Politico, “Kevin is a liar. Which, actually, is why he isn’t Speaker. Just ask any of the 224 people who voted to remove him.”