Firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene lashed out at Speaker Mike Johnson, demanding he step aside as she threatened that he would lose the gavel one way or another.
Greene lashed out after she and a group of far-right Republican rebels were thwarted in a plan to derail a House aide package that included $60.8 billion to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia. The row earned her the nickname “Moscow Marjorie.”
“Mike Johnson’s speakership is over. He needs to do the right thing to resign and allow us to move forward in a controlled process. If he doesn’t do so, he will be vacated,” Greene (R-Ga.) told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“It’s coming regardless of what Mike Johnson decides to do,” she added when asked if she is “going to file that motion at some point.”
Greene first filed a motion to vacate in March, but it wasn’t privileged, meaning it didn’t mandate a vote.
Despite her well-worn threats, the Georgia Republican didn’t force a vote Saturday after the House of Representatives passed the Ukraine aid package, insisting that she wanted her fellow lawmakers to take some time with their constituents during this week’s recess to think it over.
“I’ve been responsible with this the entire time. I support our majority and I support having our majority in 2025,” Greene stressed on Sunday.
At the moment Greene is backed by two others in publicly supporting a motion to vacate: Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.).
Greene previously criticized and opposed Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) crusade to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last October.
She raged against Johnson (R-La.), who she accused of a “complete betrayal” on a litany of issues including Ukraine, border security and government spending.
“All of this was possible because of the betrayals of Mike Johnson. He has completely betrayed the Republican Party,” Greene fumed. “He has completely betrayed Republican voters all over the country.
“And he is absolutely working for the Democrats passing the Biden administration agenda. This is a speakership that is completely over with.”
Most House Republicans opposed the Ukraine aid measure with 101 voting in favor and 112 voting against.Though there are polls showing a majority of Republicans in battleground districts back replenishing aid.
“Mike Johnson has betrayed America,” Greene chided at another point.
The Peach State Republican contended that folks are outraged and “don’t want to vote Republican” because they feel the “Republican Party in charge right now is no different than the Democrat Party.”
She stressed that the average American is fed up with the “uni party” and that the GOP needs to “start reflecting the will of their voters.”
Greene also hit back at her critics.
“Those that are calling this drama are the very people that are responsible for the drama that the American people are having to live through every single day,” she said.
Greene refrained from outlining a specific timeline for when she may bring up a motion to vacate. Johnson has spurned calls for his resignation.
Looming over a possible mutiny is the fact that a handful of Democrats have toyed with the idea of bailing him out, though most haven’t given an ironclad commitment.
“My philosophy is you do the right thing and you let the chips fall where they may,” Johnson told reporters last week. “History judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now, a critical time on the world stage.”
Johnson has also vented that many of his most ardent critics among House Republicans have declined to sit in on classified briefings about Ukraine.
