Former President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for embattled Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, praising Johnson for getting some of the U.S. aid to Ukraine structured — at least temporarily — as a loan. Trump also praised Johnson for his loyalty, citing Johnson’s support for Trump when he criticized NATO.
“[Johnson] stood very strongly with me on NATO,” Trump said, “when I said NATO has to pay up and they have to pay up soon and fast and he has stood strongly on that. He agrees with me.”
[Note: Trump provoked controversy and criticism for his statement that he would “encourage” Russia to invade NATO allies who were in arrears on payments and tell Russia to “do whatever they want” to those countries.]
Trump is asked tonight if he is still supporting Mike Johnson even though Marge Greene and his MAGA base is calling for his ouster. He’s still backing him. pic.twitter.com/CjHfSX8vax
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 22, 2024
Trump’s support is critical to Johnson, who faces a revolt among hardline right-wing Republicans in the House led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has filed a motion to vacate the Speaker.
Greene, who appears willing to burn any bridge — even surrender a slim House GOP majority — to further her America First agenda, continues to say that Johnson betrayed his office, his constituents and his party by allowing, as he said, House members to “vote their conscience” on the foreign aid package Greene and others vehemently opposed.
What’s not clear is whether Greene is willing to confront Trump on the issue. The Congresswoman has aligned with the former President at every turn, but his support for Johnson puts Greene and Trump inevitably at odds.
A fissure in Greene’s Trump fealty may have shown yesterday, as Greene — acknowledging that most of her colleagues are “angry” at her — said “I’m not so sure that Trump is going to be able to win the election” in November.
The speculation is anathema to the MAGA faithful on its face, and for Greene watchers it is not unimportant that she fails to use the “President” honorific when she talks about Trump here. In the past Greene has invariably referred to the presumptive GOP presidential nominee as “President Trump” — here she simply says “Trump.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene to Alex Jones: I’m not so sure that Trump is going to be able to win this election against Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/NxjPCY7PJ8
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) April 22, 2024
Below Greene issues a wrathful condemnation of Johnson who she says “betrayed everyone,” saying Republicans are “angry on a whole ‘nother level.”
Marge says that MAGA voters are so angry at Mike Johnson and feel so betrayed that she is very worried that many of them won’t show up to vote for Republican candidates in November because they are so disillusioned. pic.twitter.com/2Kkg2fuTti
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 22, 2024