Posted on 05/01/2024 9:54:27 AM PDT by RandFan
MICHAEL WHATLEY, the newly installed RNC co-chair, had already briefed Greene’s fellow House Republicans on the importance of party unity that morning, but Greene didn’t show. He delivered his pointed message to her personally: Don’t move against Johnson.
“He said, one, this is not helpful, and two, we want to expand and grow the majority in the House,” said a person familiar with Whatley’s message to Greene. “He was clear that any disruption to the conference on these efforts — including filing this [motion to vacate], does not help the case for party unity.”
In another era, a directive from the top Republican party official certainly would not go unheeded by a House back-bencher. Even in this era, you would think Whatley’s status as DONALD TRUMP’s handpicked RNC steward would mean something to a MAGA acolyte.
But Greene disagreed with Whatley, arguing that the party had time to rebound from a leadership switch before the election. And she admitted she’d spoken to Trump himself earlier in the day — leaving the impression that the former president had told her much the same as Whatley had.
The truth was, Greene had backed herself into a corner, and this morning, she’s facing a potential lose-lose situation: back down and look squishy or stand firm and risk a break with Trump.
At 9 a.m. she’s holding a news conference with fellow Johnson critic THOMAS MASSIE (R-Ky.), and her fellow Republicans are bracing for her to announce a vote on Johnson’s gavel as soon as this afternoon. If so, expect a quick vote to table.
Already her threats have taken a toll on her standing within the House Republican conference, where more and more lawmakers are growing tired of her self-aggrandizing antics, as our colleagues Jordain Carney and Olivia Beavers write.
They note, for instance, that Greene’s latest push comes as the GOP tries to take advantage of the campus unrest to make a messaging push on antisemitism. But, they write, instead of “going on the offense by attacking Democrats for insufficiently condemning pro-Palestinian protests on campuses, Republicans are now bracing for Greene to drag them into another internal fight that most of them would rather delay until after Election Day.”
The bigger issue is that Greene is defying not just her House colleagues, but also Trump and his hand-picked deputy, who made yesterday’s unusual face-to-face appeal.
Whatley told Playbook in a statement that “nothing is more important than party unity and ensuring that we are focused on beating JOE BIDEN and Democrats in November.”
Others in the Trump-aligned orbit are annoyed, to put it mildly, at Greene’s lack of political discipline. Some noted that she’d kept quiet in recent days until House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES and other top Democrats made their backing of Johnson public yesterday morning — suggesting Greene got rope-a-doped into sparking another internecine fight.
“Fresh bait always finds a fish,” one senior GOP official told Playbook. “Jeffries throwing that out there, it’s chum in the water. Everyone knows what he did.”
This is beyond frustrating.
The House GOP are going down and rightly so you'd think Donald Trump would want nothing to do with them.
Thoughts please, Freepers?
You and MTG are the morons here. Get in line and shut up.
The gambit is delusional stupidity. The only reason is anti American self aggrandizement
Yeah right. Get in line and in league with these Dems? No thanks
Why are you frustrated? Trump is playing 38D chess. She doesn’t trust the plan. My guess is her constituents are pushing her. So what’s she to do? Get in line with Trump or carry out what her constituents want?
Duh.
Splash some cold water and come to your senses.
Why the Hell would anyone cause this problem with the election 6 months away and Trump leading?
And no Johnson is not a Democrat. Please.
All for MTG and one other or even three others?
The whole thing is preposterous. She’s an idiot.
This is not the time for any added drama - this would be an un-forced error, like Christie Noem writing about shooting her dog. (That’s SOP on a farm, but most American voters have no idea - they’re thinking Michael Vick).
Because Trump is siding with the House GOP LOSERS. He’s crazy to do so in my opinion.
“we want to expand and grow the majority in the House”
Meaning he wants to expand and grow the numbers of RINO’s in the House. As far as Trump goes I think he’s just playing politics here or at least I hope so. There’s nothing “America First” about sending $100 billion to foreign countries.
Again, 38D chess. Trust the plan.
What plan? the plan to lose?
What exactly is the plan then?
Johnson is compromised and will give the Dems Victories until his time is up.
Lindsey, Mitch, Murkowski, Collins, Tillis.
This should look familiar.
Johnson, as bad as he is, is the only thing keeping a chance alive at the GOP winning 2024 elections.
Is he being sarc/ I cannot tell!
Trust Trump. That’s what I’m always told.
You’re not helping when you call out Trump for saying something that makes sense. MTG does not have the votes!!!
I’m supportive but this plan /strategy makes no sense to me and others
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