House Speaker Mike Johnson is making an effort to emphasize close ties to former President Donald Trump as the Louisiana Republican faces the threat of a vote to strip him of the speaker’s gavel.
Johnson and Trump will appear together at Mar-a-Lago on Friday to deliver joint remarks and make an announcement on “election integrity.” The event, which sources say was the speaker’s idea, comes as Johnson confronts the most serious challenge to his speakership to date, as GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia dangles the possibility of forcing a vote to oust him from the leadership post.
And as Johnson makes the trek to Florida to highlight an issue Trump cares deeply about, sources familiar with the matter said he’ll have another mission in mind: to feel out the former president on a potential Ukraine aid package – a politically perilous policy issue that could draw the ire of Trump, divide the House GOP and end Johnson’s rookie speakership. Some of the speaker’s allies have counseled Johnson to keep Trump in the loop with respect to his plans on Ukraine, cognizant that Trump’s backing – or opposition – could make or break the legislation, as well as Johnson’s speakership.
Johnson and Trump will use a joint news conference Friday to, in part, “draw attention to” what they say are state proposals and lawsuits that would allow non-citizens to vote, a senior Trump adviser said. Currently, federal law bans non-citizens from voting in federal elections, and non-citizens who illegally cast ballots risk fines, up to a year in prison and deportation. Trump, however, has routinely made false claims that Democrats want undocumented migrants to come into the country to impact the election.
Read more about the Trump and Johnson event.
