Despite calls from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and other ultraconservatives, House Speaker Mike Johnson's position appears secure as members of the Republican base show little enthusiasm for his removal.
Members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus and their allies have been signaling that the push to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is not gaining traction within the Republican base. Despite weeks of pressure from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., her resolution seeking to vacate Johnson's position has remained untouched for nearly 40 days.
Upon returning to Washington after a weeklong recess, even Johnson's conservative critics expressed minimal concerns from their constituents regarding the matter. "I think the GOP base wants Republicans to live up to what they ran on," Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. "If you went down any street in America and asked about their top 10 priorities, [motion to vacate] would not come up."
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., acknowledged that lawmakers should be responsive to their districts but emphasized that border security, rather than House GOP politics, is the primary concern of his constituents. "You've got terrorists on known watch-lists coming from the north and south borders. And meanwhile, we're talking about inner squabbling," Mills said. "My constituents are more concerned about securing the border and being able to afford how to live."
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, also downplayed the level of concern about the motion to vacate within his Texas district. "I don't think the average citizen…is concerned about who the speaker of the House is," Self said. "There are people who are very energized about it, but the bulk are not."
One anonymous GOP lawmaker stated that their constituents outright rejected Greene's effort. "Nobody is pushing it except [Greene]," the lawmaker said. "At home, no one wants it."
Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., a member of the House Freedom Caucus, suggested that Johnson's ouster could have detrimental consequences for the GOP. "I think what the base wants is just the opportunity for the things that we all believe in to start coming to fruition," he said. "When you have the makeup of our conference like we do, I don't know how we come out of a motion to vacate with a more conservative solution."
Greene introduced her resolution in late March, citing Johnson's bipartisan work on government spending and foreign aid. Her resolution garnered only two co-sponsors from Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and has largely failed to gain support within the GOP.
Even Johnson's critics in the House Freedom Caucus have distanced themselves from the push to oust him. After the House passed a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, Greene accused Johnson of "betraying" Republican voters, but her claims have found little resonance among the party's base.
Former President Trump recently voiced his support for Johnson. Fox News Digital has reached out to Greene's office for comment.
