The former president approves of Greene's push, which he shared on social media, and appears to be siding with her against Johnson.
Former President Donald Trump has expressed support for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's demand to defund Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is investigating the former president's handling of classified documents. Greene shared a photo on social media of a document shared with her by Trump. It shows an image of a reporter's post citing Johnson's comments in a press conference that the House was "looking very intently" at ways to defund Smith's probe. Underneath the post is what appears to be Trump's handwriting with the brief inscription, "Great!" followed by his signature.
Greene's office confirmed to Fox News Digital that the message was sent to Greene by Trump. The former president's approval of Greene's demand puts him at odds with Johnson, who has insisted he is not negotiating with the GOP rebels.
Johnson, while downplaying the role of Greene and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in promoting the idea, similarly appeared to show support for the idea of defunding Smith's office.
"There's discussion this week, as there has been for a long, long time, about what is the most effective way for Congress to take the reins of that and ensure that the special counsels are not abusing the law themselves," Johnson said Tuesday morning. "There's a lot of ideas about that. Discussions this week are nothing new, but we're looking very intently at it because I think the problem has reached a crescendo."
The most likely place for that funding battle would be the looming fiscal year 2025 government funding talks, but Republicans face an uphill battle getting it across the finish line. Any proposal to defund Smith's probe is likely to die in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
Greene and Massie, along with Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., are threatening to force a House-wide vote on Johnson's ouster via a procedure known as a motion to vacate the chair. The push has fallen mostly flat among the House Republican conference, however.
Trump himself has voiced support for Johnson both publicly and privately amid Greene's ouster threats.
"It’s not like he can go and do whatever he wants to do," Trump said earlier this month to radio host John Fredericks, citing Johnson's razor-thin House majority. "I think he’s a very good person. You know, he stood very strongly with me on NATO when I said NATO has to pay up… It’s a tough situation when you have. I think he’s a very good man. I think he’s trying very hard."
He also referenced the November elections just six months away.
Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., another Trump ally, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday, "I was with President Trump over the weekend. He's with Mike Johnson."
"He thinks he's doing his best in a difficult situation," Meuser said when asked for details of their conversation. Of the motion to vacate, Meuser said of Trump, "I think he would prefer that not to occur right now."
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson's office for comment on Greene's push.
