There has been much speculation about how Democrats could save Speaker Mike Johnson’s gavel as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) threatens to impeach him.
The best bet right now is that if anyone comes to Johnson’s rescue, it will be the most powerful Republican there is.
Former President Donald Trump will appear with Johnson at an “election integrity” event at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday, a joint event that hints at a burgeoning but tentative alliance between the two powerful Republicans.
The result: Trump World is not happy with Greene’s threat to throw the Republican Party into chaos once again. There are fears that a battle for the presidency in an election year would undermine the party’s goals of holding the House and flipping the White House and Senate.
“One hundred percent distraction. Not wanted. And just stupid,” one Trump insider said Wednesday night. “We’re not going to get caught up in this cycle of nonsense coming out of House members.”
“It’s fair to say we don’t think she’s being constructive,” another person close to Trump said of Greene. “Internal struggles are not appreciated by [Trump].”
Those around the former president are increasingly tired of the constant threats of eviction motions, that person added: “It’s no way to run a party; It’s no way to run a House. “You can’t work in that environment.”
The biggest concern is that Johnson’s removal would create a power vacuum at a time when unity is essential and coordination between the Trump campaign and the president’s political operations is beginning to tighten.
For one thing, Trump’s senior adviser Chris LaCivita has been in close contact with Billy Constangy, Johnson’s top political operative who worked alongside LaCivita in the past. Hayden Haynes, Johnson’s chief of staff, recently met with members of Trump’s team, and there is talk of starting regular meetings between the Trump campaign and Johnson’s operation, as well as the RNC, NRCC and NRSC.
Even if Greene’s effort is thwarted, most likely with Democratic help, there is a clear understanding that Johnson’s standing in the party would be greatly harmed and that a weakened speaker means a weakened Republican apparatus.
As for the main two: Greene’s threats come just as Trump and Johnson themselves are beginning to develop a relationship: engaging in more frequent phone calls, for example, and now putting a joint event on the books.
Johnson’s office introduced Friday’s event to Trump’s team, no doubt aware of how it could shore up the president’s precarious position. But both sides consider the event a victory.
Johnson takes the stage with the MAGA King himself just as he faces a far-right revolt, while Trump gets the nation’s highest-ranking Republican to give credence to his concerns about voting, while many in the GOP plead with him leave the 2020 elections behind. .
But don’t expect a full-blown love fest. For one, Trump is very close to Greene, and he is unlikely to publicly criticize her or even necessarily give Johnson’s presidency a full blessing.
An even bigger problem is that Johnson still has a legislative minefield to navigate, and Trump’s opinion of the embattled president could certainly change, his inner circle admits.
Here are some dynamics to watch out for:
— Spy powers: Trump encouraged Republicans on Wednesday to “KILL FISA” arguing in Truth Social that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was used against him during his first campaign. Hours later, 19 House Republicans voted to block a reauthorization of a key part of that law over Johnson’s objections.
But Trump’s inner circle said Johnson’s approval of a FISA reauthorization would not necessarily ruin their relationship. On the one hand, the former president actually confused two different parts of the extensive espionage law.
— Help Ukraine: House Republicans have tried to convince Trump to back Johnson’s approach on aid to Ukraine or stay out of the debate entirely. If Trump publicly opposes aid to Ukraine and Johnson moves forward, that would almost certainly prompt Greene to activate the override motion.
But it is still unclear what Trump will do. We’re told the two men will have some time alone to discuss this topic, among others, tomorrow before the afternoon event.
— The personal link: While Johnson has always been a Trump supporter, he does not have the kind of back-slapping relationship that his predecessor Kevin McCarthy enjoyed with the former president.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing for Johnson. Some in Trump’s inner circle became frustrated with McCarthy, believing he was too lax in making promises he couldn’t or wouldn’t keep. The reserved and serious Johnson has not found himself in the same situation.
In fact, those around Trump believe Johnson fully supports their efforts to turn around the White House and believe the two men can work well together in the coming months. But tomorrow’s event will be a test: Since both are likely to answer questions from journalists, it will be an audition of sorts in which thorny issues, from Ukraine to the 2020 election to abortion, could quickly complicate matters.
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