Research/Study
Marjorie Taylor Greene is on a right-wing media tour promoting her efforts to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson
Greene has called Johnson a “mini tyrant” and said that he is “full of shit”
Written by Camden Carter
Research contributions from Jack Winstanley
Published
Since filing a motion for a vote to force Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to vacate the House leadership position in March, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has been on a right-wing press tour promoting her move and attacking Johnson. Greene has called the incumbent speaker a “mini tyrant” and said that he is “full of shit,” while receiving support and encouragement from conservative hosts including former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who promoted similar efforts to remove GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy last October.
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Greene filed a motion to oust Johnson last month and has since been gathering support for the move
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- On March 22, Greene filed a motion to oust Johnson from his position as speaker of the House. When representatives returned from their spring recess in early April, Greene sent a letter to her colleagues again urging them to vacate the speaker. [NBC News, 3/22/24; PBS, 4/9/24]
- Greene has also recently opposed Johnson’s foreign aid package, introducing unserious amendments that include funding for “development of space laser technology on the southwest border.” MSNBC reported that Greene proposed other “ludicrous amendments ... presumably meant to troll her colleagues,” including “one that would require all members of Congress who vote for the Ukraine bill to ‘conscript in the Ukrainian military’; another would prohibit funding until Ukraine ‘closes all bio-laboratories.’” [MSNBC, 4/18/24]
- After the House passed the aid package on April 20, Greene said she would wait to move forward on a vote to remove the speaker. Greene also reiterated her reasons for attempting to oust Johnson and told reporters that “he’s already a lame duck.” [CNBC, 4/20/24]
- Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has a long and successful history of influencing right-wing politics, including the campaign against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in late 2023. Bannon was strongly in favor of ousting McCarthy as speaker, which caused a rift with Greene, who allied with McCarthy. Bannon vocally attacked Greene for her support of McCarthy and threatened to support a primary challenge against her. [The Washington Post, 4/4/24; Bloomberg, 10/8/15; The Daily Beast, 8/4/23]
- Now, Bannon is seemingly using the same playbook he deployed to help push out McCarthy to oust Johnson. This time, however, Bannon and Greene are aligned — the Georgia representative has made multiple appearances on Bannon’s War Room discussing Johnson’s alleged failures and the need to remove him as speaker. Other right-wing media figures are divided over Greene's efforts. [Media Matters, 1/11/24, 4/22/24, 4/22/24]
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Greene has made several appearances in right-wing media to promote her efforts to remove Johnson, including at least 6 appearances on Bannon’s War Room
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- In an April 2 phone call into War Room, Greene said that Johnson is “doing the very dirty work of the deep state.” She also said that Johnson has been “promoted to be the senior partner at the firm, and you know what that means — he is not working for Republicans.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/2/24]
- On the April 3 edition of Tucker Carlson’s Uncensored, Greene and the host speculated that Johnson may be being “blackmailed.” Carlson claimed that among many top D.C. officials, “there does seem to be a connection between the creepiness of your personal life, and the deception around your personal life, and your willingness to vote with the other side.” Greene also said that “establishment Washington runs like a company, we could call it the firm. Well, Mike Johnson just got promoted to senior partner at the firm because he has been obeying their every single demand.” [Twitter/X, 4/3/24]
- In an interview on OAN, Greene said that there is “strong support here behind my motion to vacate” Johnson and claimed that “I support the Republican Party more than most members do.” Host Dan Ball said, “I’ve got to admit, MTG, I agree with you. I am not happy with a lot of the votes or non-votes he hasn’t brought to the floor.” [OAN, Real America, 4/11/24]
- On War Room, Greene said she opposed Johnson’s vote to send foreign aid to Ukraine because its conflict with Russia is “really” about “a war on Christianity.” She claimed that “the Ukrainian government is attacking Christians, the Ukrainian government is executing priests. Russia is not doing that. They’re not attacking Christianity, as a matter of fact they seem to be protecting it.” Bannon praised Greene, saying that she has been “mentioned sometimes even as a VP possibility. If not you might be in the Cabinet. Or obviously in the future you're going to be one of the leaders of the MAGA movement.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/8/24, 4/8/24]
- In another appearance on War Room the following day, Greene claimed Johnson’s role is “the leadership of a Democrat speaker, and the Democrats are thrilled with Mike Johnson.” She continued, saying, “he has absolutely done their bidding.” During the segment, Bannon compared her letter to colleagues calling for Johnson’s removal to when “[Martin] Luther nailed the 95 theses to the cathedral door,” starting the Protestant Reformation. [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/9/24]
- Greene again appeared on War Room on April 12 and said that “I’m not full of shit just like Mike Johnson is.” After Bannon asked Greene about Ukraine, she said that “[Secretary of Defense] Lloyd Austin and the others here more than anything want to send your uncles, your cousins, and your sons and daughters to the front lines in Ukraine,” adding, “They don't care about you at home, they don't care about our country, they don’t care about our border.” She then demanded that Johnson “do the right thing” and “stop funding Joe Biden’s administration, stop funding the open deadly border invasion.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/12/24, 4/12/24]
- Criticizing Johnson in another War Room appearance, Greene claimed that “the biggest thing he should demand is a citizenship requirement in federal elections” and blamed him for not sending more funding for border security. Greene also said that “we can’t get him [Trump] elected if we have illegals voting in our elections,” adding that “this is the way the Democrats are planning to steal it.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/16/24, 4/16/24]
- On War Room on April 18, Greene claimed that Johnson had turned into a “mini tyrant” who is “working with Democrats,” and she called him “the Democrat speaker of the House.” Bannon then called Greene a “front-line patriot.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/18/24, 4/18/24]
- On The Charlie Kirk Show, Greene agreed with the Turning Point USA founder’s “recommendation” that House Republicans “need a replacement” or “an alternative” for Johnson, with the host claiming: “You cannot, as speaker of the House, come and be the deciding vote against the U.S. Constitution with the Fourth Amendment and come out unscathed.” Greene replied, “I completely agree with you.” [The Charlie Kirk Show, 4/18/24]