Trump, Florida GOP delegation, back Mike Johnson. But why did Democrats as well?
Mike Johnson's path to retain the House speaker's gavel cut through Florida on Wednesday.
Johnson easily thwarted an attempt to oust him filed by far-right Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who convinced just 10 Republicans to support removing the Louisiana Republican. Meanwhile, 163 Democrats joined the 196 Republicans in backing Johnson as he cruised to a 359-43 trouncing of Greene's motion to vacate.
Johnson's W on Capitol Hill enjoyed the support of the Republican who matters most, Florida's Donald Trump.
The former president and presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, an ideological and political ally of Greene, nonetheless gave Johnson the thumbs-up in two recent visits to Mar-a-Lago, one this past weekend and another last month.
'Moscow' Florida? MTG trolled for opposing foreign aid package. But Florida Republicans also mostly voted no.
When Johnson first came under fire from the right-wing of the House GOP caucus earlier this spring, Trump dampened the fire by hosting the Louisiana congressman at Mar-a-Lago.
“I stand with the speaker, we’ve had a very good relationship," Trump said clearly, if not effusively, during a press conference the two men held at the Palm Beach private club.
His siding with Johnson, reportedly to stymie more internal GOP friction, was a setback of sorts for Greene, who has been courting MAGA loyalists at political events at Trump's private club.
All but one member of Florida's House delegation backed Speaker Johnson
Johnson also got the unanimous backing of Florida's House Republican delegation.
They backed the speaker despite having broken ranks with him in April when two-thirds of the Sunshine State's GOP representatives, 14 in total, voted no on a critical foreign assistance measure for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. That appeared to be a breakwater moment as Greene helped lead the GOP opposition to the legislation, and it was that bill that served as a last straw moment between the speaker and the Georgia Republican.
Still even those who voted against the foreign aid measure backed Johnson.
That included U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Pensacola, who led the campaign to remove the previous speaker, California's Kevin McCarthy. And St. Petersburg's Anna Paulina Luna, a first-term member who has clearly identified with the MAGA faction in the House. And also Laurel Lee of Tampa, who Trump is targeting for defeat in the August primary.
Early Wednesday evening, South Florida GOP U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart hailed Johnson's win — and fired a salvo at Greene, though not by name.
"This Motion to Vacate vote is nothing more than a patently obvious attempt to seek attention, it will not help achieve any tangible results except media interviews for the proponents," the Miami Republican said in a statement. "Since Speaker Johnson was elected, he has proven remarkably adept at achieving conservative policy wins with the smallest majority in modern times. Time and time again he has earned my respect and deserves the support of every House Republican."
Also backing Johnson were the bulk of Florida's congressional Democrats. Seven of them supported Johnson, with the lone vote against being cast by progressive U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost of Orlando.
The votes by the state's Democratic House members to sustain Johnson were not a show of support for him, but a slap at Taylor Greene.
"I've been clear on a motion to vacate that if Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is someone who wants states to secede from the Union, brings up a motion to vacate I will not support her doing that under any circumstances," said Congressman Jared Moskowitz last month. "Democrats don't even let her name post offices."
Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: MTG bid to oust Mike Johnson blocked by Trump, Florida GOP and Democrats
