On Thursday, Donald Trump made an effort to unite the House Republican conference during his visit to Washington DC. He attended meetings with both the full House and Senate Republican caucuses in an attempt to quell any divisions.
In classic Trump fashion, he publicly shamed one of his allies, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a congresswoman from Georgia.
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According to Olivia Beavers of Politico, the former president specifically mentioned the vocal conservative critic during his address to members of the Republican party in the lower chamber.
Trump directed his attention towards Marjorie Greene, who had previously attempted to remove Mike Johnson from his position as the speaker of the House. With a hint of sarcasm, he asked her if she was being kind to Johnson.
According to reports, he has lauded Johnson for his exceptional performance during his tenure as the speaker, which has lasted for less than a year. Johnson stepped in as the speaker last fall, after the chamber’s Republican majority struggled for several weeks to select a new speaker following a conservative revolt that led to the ousting of Kevin McCarthy, Johnson’s predecessor. McCarthy subsequently resigned from the House of Representatives, having served as the speaker for less than a year.
In an interview with CNN, Greene affirmed the account following the meeting.
As he caught sight of me, he greeted me warmly with a friendly “Hello, Marjorie”. I always appreciate his kindness and the way he remembers me. Then, he jokingly asked, “Are you being nice to Speaker Johnson?” It was a lighthearted moment that I enjoyed.
Greene recounted the conversation, stating that she expressed her dissent by saying “Ehhh”. However, the person she was speaking with urged her to be kind to the individual in question, to which she nodded in agreement.
The conflict between Johnson and Greene has its roots in their differing opinions on Ukraine, with the Georgia congresswoman holding a minority stance on the matter. Although Johnson faced resistance from his party’s right wing, he eventually gave in to pressure from Senate and House Democrats and brought a bill offering military aid to Ukraine to the House floor. Despite the speaker’s previous reluctance, the bill passed with ease in April, following the Senate passing Ukraine aid as part of a larger bill in February.
Johnson’s decision to call for a vote on Ukraine aid proved to be a catalyst for Greene’s motion to vacate the speakership. As early as January, the outspoken congresswoman had warned Johnson that she would take such action if the speaker allowed the aid to pass through the chamber. Greene was clearly unwilling to accept the outcome of a majority vote and took matters into her own hands.
Three Republicans, including Greene, attempted to remove Johnson from his position but were unsuccessful. The Democrats in the House decided to side with the Republicans to prevent Johnson’s removal. As they did not have enough votes to elect one of their own, they were willing to extend an olive branch to Johnson due to his willingness to relent on the Ukraine issue.
Trump has been known to support Johnson in the past when he faced criticism from conservatives, particularly with Greene leading the charge. This recent instance is not the first time he has sought to give Johnson a boost.
During the spring when the Georgia congresswoman was contemplating the motion to vacate, Trump invited the House speaker to Mar-a-Lago. At the event, the duo introduced a bill that sought to prevent undocumented immigrants from participating in US elections.
Protesters lined the sidewalks outside the building in Washington where Trump met with his Republican allies, as the ex-president arrived amidst much controversy. Trump’s influence, despite being convicted of 34 felonies, was still felt earlier this year when he pressured Republicans to kill a piece of compromise legislation related to border security. The legislation had been negotiated by both Democrats and members of Trump’s own party in the Senate.
In recent months, Republicans such as Lauren Boebert, Eli Crane, Matt Gaetz, and Johnson, have traveled to New York to accompany Trump during his criminal trial proceedings in Manhattan. However, his visit to the capital marks a reversal of this dynamic. Trump’s trial led to his conviction on all counts of falsifying business documents, which were related to a hush money scheme he tried to conceal during the 2016 presidential election.
As he prepares to accept the Republican Party’s presidential nomination at the upcoming convention in Milwaukee, Donald Trump is currently in Washington for a visit. His victory in the primaries earlier this year, where he defeated opponents such as Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, was a clear indication of the widespread support he enjoys from the Republican voter base.
