A Democrat lawmaker has hinted at the possibility of coming to the aid of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) if his fellow Republicans seek to overthrow him from his position.
The House leader has gained considerable backlash during his short time in the role, which began in October 2023. The tension comes after GOP lawmakers were first at peace with the appointment of Johnson, who was not initially seeking the role but ended up with it after former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted and several other members failed to gain support to replace him.
However, Johnson’s support of the controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and providing substantial financial support for Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia has landed him in the dog house and struggling to maintain his leadership position.
During a recent interview with MSNBC, though, a lawmaker from the opposing party stepped in to vouch for Johnson. Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) said in his remarks that, if the House Speaker’s efforts are “an evolution rather than a revolution,” he would be “inclined to be supportive” of them.
Rep. James Clyburn explains why he might support House Speaker Mike Johnson if Republican lawmakers try to oust him.
"I think we'll have to wait and see. If this is an evolution rather than the revolution, then I'm inclined to be supportive." pic.twitter.com/TmXdYsmnIP
— Jeff Charles, An Awful Pundit🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) April 21, 2024
Clyburn added that he remains in close contact with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who serves as the House Minority Leader, to “see exactly how we ought to conduct ourselves.”
The interview, which aired April 21 as the House voted on a controversial foreign aid bill designed to give substantial funding to Ukraine, included Clyburn’s note that he was “interested” to observe Johnson’s “reaction” to GOP votes on the issue, citing a poor reaction from former House Speaker McCarthy as what launched him to his ouster.
Clyburn concluded by expressing that he “hope[s]” Johnson has “evolved” and that, should this be the case, “it will be lasting.” The Democrat response to the Speaker’s collaboration with them in passing foreign aid legislation has sparked speculation that the left-wing party could be open to returning the favor to the GOP leader.
Over the weekend, the House approved $60 billion to be given to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, a package that would not have been raised for a vote had Johnson joined most of his fellow Republicans in opposing the proposal.
Additionally, $26 billion was approved to be sent to Israel as it continues to fight Hamas in Gaza, more than six months after the terrorist group launched a massacre in the Jewish nation. Another $8 billion was awarded to Taiwan amid ongoing efforts to resist Chinese communist control.
