US House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Ukraine and Israel aid plan spurs new ousting threat
- Republican congressman Thomas Massie says he supports hardline colleague Marjorie Taylor Greene’s move to remove Johnson from the leadership role
- With the party holding a razor-thin majority in the chamber, just 3 Republicans joining unified Democrats could see the speaker booted
US House Speaker Mike Johnson’s job is in new peril as a second Republican said he would join an effort to depose the Republican leader following his proposal to fund aid to Ukraine and Israel.
Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie said he told colleagues in a closed-door meeting that he supports hardliner Marjorie Taylor Greene’s move to oust Johnson from the speakership.
Massie, a critic of both Israel and Ukraine aid, confirmed to reporters as he left the meeting that he made the overthrow threat and called on the speaker to resign.
“I am not resigning,” Johnson retorted, brushing aside the threat in comments to reporters. “I am not concerned about this. I am doing my job.”
Johnson just received a vote on confidence Friday from the Republican party’s dominant figure, former US president Donald Trump, who offered a public show of support in a joint appearance at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump criticised threats of ousting the speaker as “unfortunate”.