GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz’s Advice to Speaker Mike Johnson: Navigating Challenges

TFD – Discover the advice GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz offers Speaker Mike Johnson in navigating political challenges, notably regarding Ukraine.

Mike Johnson plotted with a crucial – and possibly unexpected – source a few days after a far-right member placed his speakership on notice: fiery GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the mastermind of the previous attempt to unseat a speaker.

Sources familiar with the conversation claim that during a recent phone call, Gaetz—who is making it clear he is firmly in Johnson’s corner—advised the rookie speaker to put some conservative wins on the board over the coming weeks as he navigates the possibility of a potential motion to remove him from the speaker’s chair.

“I offered the speaker some uninvited counsel. that we must assume a fighting stance. Additionally, Gaetz expressed his satisfaction with the speaker’s implementation of such suggestion in a CNN interview. “We should start putting wins on the board for House Republicans, as the speaker requests. I’m relieved that the speaker hasn’t brought up the $95 billion Ukraine supplemental that the Senate approved, and I believe he is currently paving a better course on that matter.

With a plethora of options at his disposal as speaker, Johnson can appease his right flank, which was enraged by the recent bipartisan budget agreement he brought to the House floor. However, Johnson’s decision to hang up his speaker’s gavel may depend on how he responds to the next contentious foreign policy issue that arises: financing for Ukraine’s battle against Russia.

When asked if he would reconsider backing Johnson in the event that the speaker introduced a bill on Ukraine that is not funded by budget savings, Gaetz responded, “We would be very disappointed if there were no offsets.” I don’t think we should finance Ukraine with deficit spending. Additionally, I believe that we should prioritize protecting our own border. Additionally, I believe Speaker Johnson holds the same opinion.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, filed an official move to vacate prior to the recess, but she hasn’t taken the required action to actually compel a floor vote on the resolution, so for the time being she’s just holding the threat in reserve. Johnson’s allies don’t think Greene would actually follow through, and even if she does, they don’t think either party would be very supportive of her decision.

“I believe that everyone else among me understands that this is a diversion from our goal. The goal is to save the republic, once more, Johnson stated on Fox News.

Johnson said, “Marjorie is a friend,” adding that the two had just texted each other on Sunday.

“She’s very frustrated about, for example, the last appropriations bills. Guess what? So am I. These are not the most perfect pieces of legislation that you and I and Marjorie would draft if we had the ability to do it differently,” Johnson said.

However, Johnson also can’t leave anything to chance, considering the steadily declining House Republican majority, Greene’s erratic behavior, and the startling manner in which previous Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from office. According to some who have met with the speaker recently, he is well aware that the motion to vacate is imminent as he makes important decisions over Ukraine aid, which might have a significant impact on his political future in the short- or long-term. Johnson has been discreetly working with important lieutenants to map out his Ukraine strategy throughout the two-week Easter break.

“He needs to strengthen (backing) following that fiscal disaster,” a Republican senator expressed disappointment over the spending plan to CNN. “That was a really bad deal.”

Democrats are indicating that if Johnson advances a plan on Ukraine that they can support, they will stand by him. Nevertheless, Obama runs the danger of alienating right-wing Republicans and Democrats who reject giving Ukraine an additional dime if he advances a plan that is less expansive than their requests or adds new border restrictions. Furthermore, Gaetz and other hardliners want to add budget cutbacks to offset the Ukraine package, but doing so would face strong opposition from Democrats.

“I would advise Mike to begin with the Americans living here at home and proceed from there. GOP Representative Chip Roy of Texas stated, “Don’t start from Ukraine and work that way.” He also mentioned that he has been in “constant communication” with the speaker and his staff.

One of the most vocal opponents of the bipartisan spending bill, Roy, declined to say if he would support Greene’s attempt to remove Johnson from office.

“At this moment, it is imperative that Republicans come together to expose the radical progressive actions of their Democratic colleagues and offer a viable alternative vision,” the speaker stated.

Greene is scheming on her own in the meanwhile. A lawmaker acquainted with the exchanges claims that she is collaborating with a limited circle of allies to determine each member’s position.

“It’s being discussed,” the lawmaker stated.

GOP Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky stated to CNN on the day that Greene filed her motion against Johnson that she is not in a hurry to take action.

Massie told CNN last week, “Hopefully now we can start finding a replacement and still do investigations and still go about our business.”

But he would not say if he supports ousting Johnson: “There’s no benefit to me answering that question.”

Although Greene has been openly attacking the speaker on social media for the past few days, people close to her believe that she is only sharing details of her true plan with a select group of important allies.

Hardliners are unsure about removing Johnson.

Important members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, including those who backed McCarthy’s removal, are not expressing the same zeal for Johnson’s removal as Greene and her friends begin to contact their colleagues.

Eight Republicans voted to remove McCarthy, including GOP Representative Bob Good of Virginia, the head of the right-wing organization. Good told CNN that no one is interested in what Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks or says. She’s a one-man show, too. She’s acting ostentatious and attention-seeking, and she has a chilly connection with Greene, who is supporting his main rival.

Good told CNN that “nobody cares what Marjorie Taylor Greene says or thinks.” She is a one-man show, too. She is acting ostentatious and seeking attention.

Good stated, “I can’t defend the actions that have been taken that are material in doing the same thing that the former speaker did,” but he would not say whether he would support voting to remove Johnson from office.

When asked if Johnson ought to be removed by vote, Good responded, “I have no opinion on that.” You know, and in my opinion, that statement speaks for itself.

Hardliners elsewhere are against Johnson being fired.

GOP Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina stated, “I do not think this is the time to put America through another battle to select a new person as speaker of the House.” “Therefore, if and when the (motion to vacate the speaker) comes up for a vote on the House floor, I will not support it.”

Although many Republicans are still supporting Johnson for the time being, they cautioned that how he handles aid to Ukraine when the House reconvenes in April may have a significant impact on their final decision.

Although he didn’t think Greene’s threat to Johnson’s employment was serious, GOP Representative Andrew Clyde of Georgia issued a warning, saying, “I think we need to be focused on securing our border, before we focus on securing the border of some other country.”

Given the low margins in the House and the mounting resentment among Republicans, some fear that the instability created by another speaker fight may lead to a coalition with Democrats and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries becoming speaker. According to sources who spoke to CNN, a number of Republican politicians specifically brought up this point to Greene on the House floor in an attempt to talk her off of pursuing her resolution to remove Johnson.

“I could make a true promise to the nation that we wouldn’t have a Democrat as speaker of the House, and I fulfilled that promise the last time I pulled the trigger on a motion to vacate,” Gaetz stated in the interview. “And with a one-vote majority as opposed to a four-vote majority, I’m not sure that I could do it again.”

To maintain the pressure, though, Greene is working hard behind the scenes and on social media. Soon after announcing her plans, she told CNN that “quite a few” lawmakers were in favor of her initiative, but she did not say exactly how many or which lawmakers.

“A lot of people have committed, but a lot of people have also already expressed to me how much they are relieved,” she continued.

Greene, on the other hand, has been openly and aggressively attacking Johnson in a barrage of social media posts.

She wrote on Thursday, “Republicans should take my move to resign seriously and spend the necessary time organizing and uniting for new leadership. My motion to vacate is a force for change.”

Sheden Tesfaldet and Haley Talbot both contributed to this article.