Johnson is facing perhaps the most precarious period of his five-month term, as he seeks to negotiate a national security package with funding for Ukraine and other foreign allies, while fending off a challenge to his post from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Trump did not weigh in on Greene’s efforts to impeach the Louisiana Republican.
Friday’s meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was not prompted by Greene’s threat, according to two people familiar with the project, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about their relationship . Instead, Trump and Johnson found common ground on two issues that unite them: election integrity and border security. They decided to unveil a new legislative effort together during Johnson’s already planned visit to Mar-a-Lago.
Johnson began building a relationship with Trump in early 2020 after Johnson was chosen to serve on the White House defense team during the president’s first Senate impeachment trial, according to people familiar with the relationship. . Later that year, Johnson recruited 125 House Republicans to sign a legal brief asking the Supreme Court to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election victories in four key states. Johnson also relied on his qualifications as a constitutional lawyer to help his colleagues refine their arguments against certification of the January 6, 2021 election.
In a statement before Friday’s news conference, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), former chairman of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, said that ” “The club should remind the American people of a dangerous truth: Donald Trump is a threat to our democracy and a danger to our Constitution.”
Johnson’s continued support for Trump — he has repeatedly described himself as a MAGA Republican — earned him the former president’s support when he ran for president after the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif.). After rejecting Rep. Tom Emmer’s (R-Minn.) presidential bid, Trump posted on social media that while he wasn’t going to officially choose among the candidates in the race, his “strong SUGGESTION is to choose the leading candidate,” Mike Johnson.
Since becoming a speaker, Johnson has visited Mar-a-Lago several times for private meetings and fundraisers.
Johnson and Trump are in touch often, with the two exchanging notes from their vantage points at the top of Republican politics, according to people familiar with the relationship. The former president updates the speaker on the latest state polls and developments in his campaign, while Johnson updates Trump on what’s happening in the House.
It’s unclear whether Trump will speak out Friday in support of Johnson’s handling of the ideologically divisive House Republican conference. Johnson faces numerous hurdles this month, starting with the false start of reauthorizing part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which divided privacy and national security hawks at the conference.
After Trump posted on social media that House Republicans should “KILL FISA,” several far-right lawmakers — many of whom had already decided to vote against the measure — used a procedural hurdle Wednesday to temporarily block the debate on the measure. Asked if Trump’s interference was detrimental to the legislative process, Johnson responded: “It’s never helpful for the majority party to repeal a rule.” Ultimately, of course, this weakens our relationship with the Senate and the White House.”
The bill passed Friday after Johnson cut the reauthorization period from five to two years, arguing that far-right members will be able to make whatever changes they want to the surveillance provision when Trump is re-elected and that House Republicans will retain the majority – two outcomes that are not guaranteed.
Far-right members are also closely monitoring Johnson’s handling of funding for Ukraine. Greene said she would move to oust him from the presidency if he introduced such a bill in the House.
“I never speak for (Trump) or say what he should or shouldn’t do,” Greene said Friday. “He’s the leader of the party. He is our Republican presidential candidate, who I support and am trying to help win in November.”
Republican House speakers had to keep Trump close. McCarthy began to form a close relationship with Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, and his allegiance to Trump earned him the nickname “My Kevin.” McCarthy often exploited this alliance for his political ambitions, frequently telling Trump not to support more extremist candidates in swing districts, which helped Republicans win a majority in the 2022 midterms.
But their relationship has fluctuated over the years. The most obvious breakup and reconciliation occurred after McCarthy blamed Trump for the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, but he then went to Mar-a-Lago to make up for it. Although McCarthy often followed Trump’s lead, the former president stayed on the sidelines when McCarthy came under fire from far-right Republicans at last year’s conference, ultimately leading to Trump not to defend him before his ouster from the presidency.
washingtonpost
