WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson, with his job in jeopardy, heads to Florida on Friday to meet with the only person who could save his precarious speakership: Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump. It's planned.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Johnson (R-Louisiana) are scheduled to speak about “election integrity,” according to multiple sources, one of whom said the two Republicans will focus on preventing non-citizens from voting. They plan to discuss the proposed legislation. This is already illegal and extremely rare, but President Trump and many of his allies have falsely claimed that illegal immigrants influenced the 2020 election and are likely to do so again this year. It warns that there is.
“Parliament has a role to play when it comes to federal elections, and we want to make sure that whoever elects the elections. [who] “The right to vote actually belongs to the American people,” Johnson told reporters on Friday. “We need to make sure that federal law is clear on this issue and actually ensure the integrity of our elections.” Yes, because that's the number one concern of the American people right now.”
Mr. Johnson is making a pilgrimage to Mr. Trump's golf resort, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach. He faces continued threats to his job from Georgia's increasingly aggressive Democratic Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right firebrand and Trump supporter. It has been less than half a year since he joined the company.
If Trump remains silent, Greene may think that's enough of a trigger. But she is unlikely to defy Trump's push to keep Johnson in office and pressure her not to force a vote on his removal, known as a motion to vacate.
Conservative MP Ralph Norman (RS.C.) said in an interview that “obviously it would help Mr. Johnson” if President Trump reiterated his support for him. Although he has occasionally criticized Mr Johnson, he has not supported calls for his removal from office.
“Trump has his supporters. He's our candidate. … It's Trump and Biden now. There's no other choice. So it's good that they're together,” Norman continued, adding that Trump He said he hopes he will impress Johnson with his ideas. The primary focus is on passing new restrictions on immigration.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida), a critic of Mr. Johnson, said when asked what Mr. Johnson should gain from visiting President Trump, saying, “President Trump is a great negotiator. “But he also has a lot of great insight into what the American people think.” I want him,” she added, looking forward to their announcement.
Mr. Johnson's visit to Palm Beach came just three days before Mr. Trump goes on trial in New York on charges of falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
This is the first time the two have met in person since Trump was nominated as the Republican nominee. Meetings like this between the Republican Party chair and a presidential candidate are not uncommon, as the Republican Party is united behind the candidate. But it came just three weeks after Greene introduced the motion to overthrow Johnson and other conservatives complained about his handling of a number of thorny issues.
Fueling the threat to Mr. Johnson's job is the approval of aid to Ukraine and the renewal of the warrantless surveillance program under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. In both cases, Johnson is under pressure from party committee leaders, centrist Republicans and the Senate to take action, against the wishes of far-right MPs who oppose both issues.
Greene introduced the motion last month before the House adjourned for two weeks, but has not yet acted on it. If she does so, she would have two legislative days to vote on it. Despite pleas from her colleagues back in the House of Commons to resign, she has only stepped up her attacks on Mr Johnson.
Greene made the threat over the sweeping government funding bill passed last month, claiming Johnson gave President Joe Biden and Democrats “everything they wanted” in the spending package. negotiated with Democrats on this bill, which includes He controlled the Senate and the White House. )
“I will not tolerate elected Republican Chairman Mike Johnson serving the Democratic Party and the Biden administration and helping implement their policies that are destroying our country. By not participating, you are throwing our razor-thin majority into disarray,” Greene wrote in a letter to colleagues this week, urging Johnson not to provide funding for Ukraine aid or without new provisions. requested that Section 702 not be updated. “Writ Requirements.”
Other Republicans said they would not support Greene's motion to step down, and Greene downplayed Friday's meeting, saying “President Trump meets with people all the time.”
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Florida), an ally of Mr. Johnson and a supporter of Mr. Trump, said he did not believe the threat to the speaker was real, saying, “Despite all the noise, “Mr Johnson is in a very strong position here.”
Some Democrats have also said they would vote to defend Johnson if Republicans called for him to be expelled for passing aid to Ukraine. Democratic leaders, who unified the conference last fall against defending outgoing Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, are leaving the door open to Johnson.
“If the Speaker can do the right thing and carry out the will of the House with a vote for or against national security legislation, I believe there are a significant number of Democrats who do not want to see him.” Right. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York told reporters on Thursday that he was making “an observation, not a declaration, because we need a dialogue.” he added.
Friday's meeting comes weeks after McCarthy publicly accused Trump of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, when McCarthy arrived at Mar-a-Lago to make amends with Trump. Reminds me of flying to. After Republicans regained the House majority, Trump endorsed McCarthy for speaker, helping him win the gavel during a week-long stalemate.
But last fall, when Mr. Trump's ally, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), pushed for a vote to overthrow Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Trump remained silent and made no effort to save Mr. McCarthy.
Johnson's fate may be different given his role in Trump's efforts to overturn Biden's victory in the 2020 election. He led a court brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the election results in four Biden swing states.