Trump says embattled House Republican Speaker Johnson doing 'good job'
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[April 13, 2024]
By David Morgan and Nathan Layne
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Donald Trump threw his support behind embattled
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday, seeking to
demonstrate unity as Johnson struggles to quell dissent within his
fractious Republican majority.
"He's doing a really good job under very tough circumstances," Trump
said at a press conference with Johnson at his Mar-a-Lago resort in
Florida.
Johnson gained the speaker's gavel in a weeks-long October nominating
battle after a handful of House Republican hardliners orchestrated the
ouster of his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, a historic first.
Another party hardliner, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, has
threatened to make a similar move against Johnson if he allows a vote on
more aid for Ukraine as it struggles to fight off Russia's invasion.
Greene had also voiced opposition to a surveillance bill the House
finally passed on Friday.
Trump, the Republican presidential candidate facing a rematch against
Democratic President Joe Biden in November, referred to Greene as a
friend but expressed clear disapproval of her threat to oust Johnson.
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"It's unfortunate that people bring it up, because right now we have
much bigger problems," Trump said. "I think he's doing a very good job.
He's doing about as good a job as you're going to do. I'm sure that
Marjorie understands that. She's a very good friend of mine. And I know
she has a lot of respect for the speaker."
In a post on X after Trump's press conference with Johnson, Greene said
she supported Trump but not Johnson. She made no mention of her threat
to force a vote to remove Johnson from leadership.
"I support President Trump and am working as hard as possible to help
him win in November and winning a Republican House and Senate majority,"
Greene said. "But I do not support Speaker Johnson."
The appearance with Trump could help buck up Johnson's standing with his
218-213 majority. His own members have repeatedly torpedoed his
legislative priorities, including this week by temporarily blocking the
surveillance bill and in February, when it took two efforts to advance a
bid to approve articles of impeachment against Biden's top border
official, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Trump, who holds great sway with congressional Republicans, has also
regularly weighed in on legislation, including killing a bipartisan
U.S.-Mexico border security deal, passage of which could have weakened
one of his key attacks against Biden.
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![](../images/041324PIX/news_n17.jpg)
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) delivers remarks in
Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., April 10,
2024. REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy/File Photo
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NOVEMBER FOCUS
Trump and Johnson unveiled a proposal linking one of Trump's key
campaign issues - a surge in migrants entering the country illegally
via the U.S.-Mexico border - to his longstanding false claim that
U.S. elections are marred by widespread fraud.
Johnson pledged to introduce legislation that would require
presenting proof of U.S. citizenship before voting. Without
providing evidence, Johnson said that large numbers of people
entering the country illegally were being encouraged by Democrats to
register to vote.
"We'll be able to ask this very important question of the Democrats
... Do you believe that Americans, and Americans alone, should be
the ones who vote in American elections?" Johnson said. "We're about
to find out their answer."
In a statement White House spokesperson Andrew Bates called the
proposed bill "redundant" and a "stunt," noting that it is already
illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the press conference at
Mar-a-Lago was aimed at sowing "confusion and distrust in our
elections."
Even if the House passes such a bill, it is unlikely to receive a
warm reception in the Democratic-majority Senate or be signed into
law by Biden.
Andrew Garber of the Brennan Center for Justice, said numerous
studies -- including one commissioned by Trump during his presidency
-- had shown voting by non-citizens to be extremely rare.
"On top of the fact that it's already illegal, there is just no
evidence that non-citizens are voting in any numbers," said Garber,
counsel in the left-leaning think tank's voting rights and election
program. "There is no need for any new federal legislation."
(Reporting by Nathan Layne and David Morgan; Editing by Scott
Malone, Jonathan Oatis, Deepa Babington and Leslie Adler)
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