Massie backs move to replace Mike Johnson as House speaker in MTG support

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) will co-sponsor a motion to vacate House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), marking a second Republican who publicly threatened his removal.

Massie told lawmakers in a closed-door meeting Tuesday he would back the effort introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last month, a lawmaker inside the meeting confirmed to the Washington Examiner. The change comes just one day after Johnson proposed a four-pronged plan to provide foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan through separate bills — a proposal that has been met with pushback by members of his own conference.

Johnson “should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker,” Massie posted on X after the closed-door meeting in which he informed Johnson of his decision.

Massie said he pushed Johnson to resign inside the GOP meeting, but the speaker declined. The Kentucky Republican then warned that without a resignation, the motion to vacate “will get called” and Johnson will “lose more votes than Kevin McCarthy.”

McCarthy was ousted after eight Republicans joined all Democrats to support the motion.

A defiant Johnson responded Tuesday, declaring: “I am not resigning. And it is, in my view, an absurd notion.”

Johnson told reporters the motion to vacate threat “is not helpful to the cause, it is not helpful to the country. It does not help the House Republicans advance our agenda.”

Massie’s announcement comes at a precarious time for Johnson as the speaker’s historically small majority will become even tighter by the end of this week with the resignation of Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI).

With Gallagher’s absence, that brings the Republicans’ majority to 217-213 as of Friday, meaning Republicans can only afford to lose one vote on any given measure to pass the lower chamber.

With that temporary one-vote majority, Johnson could see himself pushed into the corner as he stares down the motion to vacate that was filed by Greene last month.

A motion to vacate requires only a simple majority to pass, meaning if all Democrats voted to oust Johnson, it would only take two Republicans to join in order to pass. However, Rep. Tom Souzzi (D-NY) came out as the first Democrat last month to support Johnson if he faces a motion to vacate from the GOP.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) also pledged not to back the motion to vacate. “Massie wants the world to burn, I won’t stand by and watch,” the Democrat posted on X. “I have a bucket of water.”

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) has also indicated he would support Johnson if he faces an ouster, which could even the score for Johnson.

Several Republicans have decried the motion to remove the second speaker in one year, noting that although there haven’t been ongoing conversations about a rescue plan, they’d hope Democrats wouldn’t aid in removing Johnson.

“It’s just ridiculous,” said Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY). “I would hope no Republican takes it seriously and I hope that no Democrat would take it seriously … I think Congressman [Tom] Suozzi said he wouldn’t support it. So there’s one.”

Others pointed to the ouster of McCarthy (R-CA) and the subsequent effort to elect his successor, resulting in three weeks of chaos in the lower chamber.

“You have a loosely affiliated coalition government at this point,” said Rep. Garrett Graves (R-LA). “You’re not going to get a majority of votes for any new person. And for that reason, I don’t think that I don’t think that folks are gonna go through it.”

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It’s not yet clear when Massie and Greene may move forward with their threat to oust Johnson. Greene did not privilege the motion when she filed it in March, meaning the measure is sitting in the House until she calls it forward for a vote.

Former President Donald Trump came out in support of Johnson during a fundraiser last week, calling it “unfortunate” the measure keeps being brought up. When asked about Trump’s support, Massie simply said: “I think he’ll come around.”