The “magic” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has used to keep the GOP coalition together may be starting to fade, according to two analysts.
Johnson has presided over one of the thinnest Republican majorities in recent history. That requires him to be the ultimate party dealmaker to keep various factions in line to pass President Donald Trump’s policy agenda.
However, Johnson’s influence appears to be fading. Over the weekend, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said she felt estranged from the party over its policy stances. She also said she isn’t “afraid” of Johnson if he decides to retaliate.
The Bulwark’s Sam Stein and Will Saletan discussed MTG’s threat in a recent YouTube episode.
“Isn’t it amazing that Mike Johnson held together the Marjorie Taylor Greenes, people who kept threatening to leave the party over their pet cause?” Saletan said.
“The little margin Mike Johnson has and the crazies in the caucus that he has to deal with, it has been a bit of magic, I would say,” Stein added.
Saletan added that there doesn’t seem to be a big win that MTG is angling for. He listed off some of her grievances, such as slashing the federal budget and ending funding for the War in Ukraine, both of which are politically unpopular, Saletan added.
Stein argued that part of MTG’s problems with the GOP is that they made explicit promises to the base that they have not delivered. A couple of examples include releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files and bringing down the cost of living for average Americans.
“I think she’s looking at it and saying, ‘Why is all of this happening when you said you would do Y?’”