Johnson sounds out key Republicans with speakership and Ukraine aid on line

Days after his speakership was put on notice by a far-right member, Mike Johnson strategized with a key – and perhaps surprising – source: firebrand GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, the architect of the last effort to remove a speaker.

Days after his speakership was put on notice by a far-right member, Mike Johnson strategized with a key – and perhaps surprising – source: firebrand GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the architect of the last effort to remove a speaker. Gaetz, who is making clear he is firmly in Johnson’s corner, counseled the rookie speaker during a recent phone call to put some conservative wins on the board over the next few weeks as he navigates the threat of a potential motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, according to sources familiar with the conversation. “I gave the speaker some unsolicited advice. That we’ve got to get into a fighting posture. And I was very pleased with how the speaker received that advice,” Gaetz confirmed in an interview with CNN. “”The speaker wants to put wins on the board for House Republicans, and we better start doing that. … I’m glad the speaker hasn’t rolled over to the $95 billion Ukraine supplemental that the Senate passed, and I think that he’s forging a better path on that issue as we speak.” As speaker, Johnson has an arsenal of tools at his disposal to placate his right flank, who was infuriated by the recent bipartisan spending deal he put on the House floor. But whether or not Johnson keeps his speaker’s gavel may hinge on how he handles the next divisive policy issue coming down the pike: funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Asked if he’d change his mind about supporting Johnson if the speaker puts a Ukraine bill on the floor that is not paid for by spending cuts, Gaetz said: “If there were no offsets we’d be really disappointed. I think we need to not deficit-spend to fund Ukraine. I also think that we need to have our own border prioritized. And I think Speaker Johnson shares that viewpoint.” While GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia officially filed a motion to vacate before the recess break, she has yet to take the necessary step to actually force a floor vote on the resolution, essentially keeping the threat in her back pocket for now. Allies close to Johnson don’t believe Greene will actually follow through, and even if she does, they think she’d find little support from either side of the aisle for such a move. Meanwhile, Johnson’s office insists he is solely focused on governing and won’t operate in fear of a motion to vacate.