Greene claims Speaker Johnson is controlled by White House, says ‘he is not our leader’
WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene has publicly accused House Speaker Mike Johnson of effectively ceding control of the House GOP to the White House, saying that he is acting under the direct orders of the Trump administration. Her comments come as she prepares to resign from the House next month, reflecting intensifying tensions within the GOP.
Marjorie Taylor Greene's accusation against Mike Johnson
"I want you to know that Johnson is not our Speaker. He is not our leader," Greene told The New York Times as part of a lengthy interview.
"And in the legislative branch — a totally separate body of government — he is literally 100 percent under direct orders from the White House," she continued.
"And many, many Republicans are so furious about that, but they’re cowards."
Mike Johnson pushes back as White House rebukes Marjorie Taylor Greene
When Fox News Digital reached out to the speaker for comments, his office referred the outlet to remarks the speaker made in November.
"I'm a jealous guardian of Article One of the Constitution. I mean, the legislative branch is the most important. And I'm in charge of that in the house, but I don't think the president has overstepped his bounds. I think he's used that, that tariff authority wisely."
"And it's given him leverage in the strategy on these trade agreements. A lot of good has come out of that. I think the court should give deference to the Article two branch. And hopefully it continues," Johnson said on FOX Business.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle provided the following statement to the Times: "President Trump remains the undisputed leader of the greatest and fastest growing political movement in American history — the MAGA movement."
"On the other hand, Congresswoman Greene is quitting on her constituents in the middle of her term and abandoning the consequential fight we’re in — we don’t have time for her petty bitterness."
Republican discontent with Mike Johnson grows
Several other GOP lawmakers have also voiced their frustration with Johnson in recent weeks.
"I think there’s a lot of concerns about the way things have been handled the last several months, starting with leadership, let this redistricting war break out, which is gonna upend the districts of dozens of our members. And then the fact we just weren’t here for two months," Rep Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital in December.
"And then the way that the House is really not in the driver's seat on a lot of the key issues around here — I think all of that is pretty frustrating to a swath of the conference."
Rep Greg Steube, R-Fla. was angered earlier this month by the way Johnson handled the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
"We're getting shoved, and we just have to eat it, or, you know, vote against increasing pay to our military service members. It's a very unfortunate situation to be in, that the speaker keeps putting us in," Steube said.
"I think getting Trump’s signature piece of legislation through is excellent, and everybody should be commended for that, because that was just a huge accomplishment, and it’ll do great things for the country next year. Now that we’ve gotten over that… now you’re kind of, like, what can we do next?"
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., recently wrote in The New York Times, “Here’s a hard truth Republicans don’t want to hear: Nancy Pelosi was a more effective House speaker than any Republican this century."
"Speaker Mike Johnson is better than his predecessor. But the frustrations of being a rank-and-file House member are compounded as certain individuals or groups remain marginalized within the party, getting little say," Mace wrote.
