Marjorie Taylor Greene had announced the vote against the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, although there was no majority in favor of it. Even her mentor Donald Trump wasn't at her side – and is probably even less so now.
When Mike Johnson was elected speaker of the House of Representatives last October, the third most powerful post in the country, he knew he could get rid of him at any time. After endless grueling elections, the Republican came into office as the fourth choice because the wish of just one representative was enough to remove him with a motion of no confidence. Or a member of parliament. Someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump's loudest bully in the US House of Representatives.
Greene's coup attempt fails with announcement
She has been railing against Johnson for weeks because, together with the Democrats, he pushed billions in military aid for Ukraine through parliament. Johnson had “joined Washington DC's disgusting business model of financing wars forever,” Greene complained and called for the chairman to be ousted and replaced by someone else. But their coup attempt has now failed – with announcement. And perhaps she also sawed the branch on which she was sitting.
Greene and Johnson actually see themselves in the same political corner: he, the ultra-conservative, Bible-believing constitutional lawyer, she, the gut-controlled conspiracy theorist, both strictly Team Donald Trump. It is all the more astonishing that it was the Democrats who rushed to his aid when Greene made their recall plans public. Should there be a vote of no confidence, it would not be successful, the party's letter said a few days ago. And so, within a very short time, a bipartisan pact was reached again, something that is actually now a rarity in US politics.
Johnson draws ire from the right
Democrats' support of Johnson was also a sign of gratitude for his support of their desired military aid. After months of hesitation, Johnson gave in in mid-April and gave the green light for his party to say yes to the billions for Ukraine. This drew the ire of hardliners and Trump admirers in their own ranks, who would rather see the money spent in their own country.
The radicals in the Republican faction want to force greater savings. They are interfering with the continued financing of government programs by Democratic US President Joe Biden. Budget management is one of the core tasks of Congress and usually requires bipartisan compromises.
With their general blocking attitude, parts of the Republican Party give the impression that they are primarily interested in causing chaos. Marjorie Taylor Greene and her small group of followers had already seen off Johnson's predecessor Kevin McCarthy last fall over controversial financing issues.
Donald Trump tried to call Greene back
But the vain power games are not well received by the vast majority of voters anyway, and even less so in this presidential election year. This is also clear to Donald Trump, who wants to be elected to the White House in November. In fact, he had tried to call back the freewheeling Marjorie Taylor Greene: Although he loves her, a lack of unity is poison, he wrote in his network “Truth Social”: At some point the time will be ripe, but not now.
It wasn't the first time that the de facto Republican leader Donald Trump tried to talk Greene out of the plan. The fact that she went through with it not only earned her boos from her own people, it may also have lowered her reputation with the ex-president. “NewNation” host Chris Stirewalt sums it up: “Greene is now doing her own thing, she’s not acting in Trump’s interests.” Politically, this is risky because Donald Trump is vengeful – and one devastating sentence from him is enough to end the careers of representatives.
Sources: DPA, NewsNation, “Newsweek”, Fox News, The Hill
