{"id":2220550,"date":"2024-04-14T07:22:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-14T11:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-stretches-influence-over-gop-as-johnson-seeks-to-retain-speakership\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T07:27:55","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T11:27:55","slug":"trump-stretches-influence-over-gop-as-johnson-seeks-to-retain-speakership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-stretches-influence-over-gop-as-johnson-seeks-to-retain-speakership\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump expands control within the GOP as Johnson aims to keep speakership"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-stretches-influence-over-gop-as-johnson-seeks-to-retain-speakership%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2220550&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former President\u200c Donald Trump&#8217;s influence on House Republicans remains significant, evident in Speaker\u200c Mike Johnson&#8217;s visit and a contentious legislative vote. Since the House GOP&#8217;s majority win post-2022 midterms, Trump&#8217;s involvement in legislative \u200cand \u2063campaign affairs stirs party dynamics. His recent actions \u2062surrounding the renewal\u2064 of Section 702\u2063 of FISA emphasize his impact \u200con party decisions and internal conflicts.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Former President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a> proved this week that he still holds considerable sway over <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>House Republicans<\/a>, with a visit from Speaker <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-LA) and a controversial legislative vote highlighting how much chaos a few sentences from the former president can spark.<\/p>\n<p>Since the House GOP took the majority after the 2022 midterm elections, Trump continues to put his fingerprints over legislative and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-val-demings-helped-a-campaign-donor-fund-a-major-real-estate-purchase-with-taxpayer-dollars\/\" title=\"How Val Demings Helped a Campaign Donor Fund a Major Real Estate Purchase With Taxpayer Dollars\">campaign business<\/a>, efforts that have led to party infighting and stalled policy proposals key to running the country. <\/p>\n<p>Most recently, he got involved in the fight to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key surveillance tool essential to national security. The House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/2964090\/house-passes-fisa-renewal-capping-months-of-gop-infighting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"passed the legislation\">passed the legislation<\/a>, but not without opposition from the former president, who created a more complicated situation for Johnson as some of his allies began to reconsider their position on reauthorization. <\/p>\n<p>Johnson\u2019s vote against warrant requirements preempted the speaker\u2019s visit to Trump\u2019s home in Mar-a-Lago, where Johnson and Trump delivered joint remarks on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ga-poll-watcher-it-expert-non-trump-supporter-affidavit-sudden-surge-of-20000-mail-in-votes-for-biden-in-early-hours-on-nov\/\" title=\"GA Poll Watcher, IT Expert, Non-Trump Supporter Affidavit: Sudden Surge of 20,000 Mail-In-Votes For Biden In Early Hours On Nov\">election integrity<\/a> on Friday. The visit was as much a campaign promotion for Trump as it was a Hail Mary for Johnson, who faces the threat of a motion to vacate over the spending deal and, thanks to Friday\u2019s vote, the renewal of a key federal surveillance tool.<\/p>\n<p>With Johnson\u2019s speakership up in the air, his one shot at redemption may fall in Trump\u2019s hands, as a vouch in support from the former president could be the key to keeping hard-right Republicans from ousting him.<\/p>\n<h2>Trump\u2019s interference in legislation proves effective<\/h2>\n<p>The House passed Section 702 of FISA on Friday despite interference from Trump, who came out in opposition to the FISA proposal earlier on Wednesday morning. Hours later, 19 Republicans joined all Democrats in voting down a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hard-line-conservatives-freeze-house-action-in-revolt-of-johnsons-spending-deal\/\" title=\"Hard-line conservatives freeze House action in revolt of Johnson\u2019s spending deal\">procedural rule vote<\/a> on Wednesday, effectively putting the House at a standstill until a new version of the text was negotiated. <\/p>\n<p>This is not the first time that comments from Trump have derailed legislation. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/national-security\/2817287\/ukraine-aid-imperiled-by-trump-demands-to-reject-border-compromise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>demanded<\/a> earlier this year that congressional Republicans rejected anything other than a \u201cperfect\u201d deal on the border, making the Senate supplemental legislation on aid to Ukraine and Israel essentially dead on arrival. <\/p>\n<p>The former president also came to TikTok\u2019s defense last month, but House Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2916217\/house-republicans-break-trump-tiktok-bill-hes-wrong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>broke away<\/a> from him in a rare moment in disagreement and voted to approve legislation to force the social media platform to sever ties with its Chinese parent company. Though it was an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, Trump\u2019s words did change GOP minds.<\/p>\n<p>Some members believe that Trump\u2019s involvement in legislative matters is helping the GOP conference.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably does. I\u2019m sure it probably does,\u201d Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) said to the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>\u201cYou\u2019ve got to realize I\u2019m the type of guy that looks at Donald Trump and what he did in four years. Donald Trump is always right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other members, who may not always agree with Trump\u2019s every word, understand the weight that both his and President Joe Biden\u2019s comments can carry on policy decisions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just think that people who sent me here expect me to listen to them and then to obtain information to make a choice,\u201d Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY), one of the vulnerable GOP members up for reelection this cycle, said to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cMy choice, I think, is ultimately to move the process forward and strengthen the legislation by further ensuring protections for American civil rights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re in a presidential election news cycle,\u201d Molinaro admitted. \u201cI mean, the president says something, then the former president says something, we have to digest that information.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Johnson meeting with Trump: Will it be enough to save him?<\/h2>\n<p>The vote on FISA, and the motions filed afterward, set Johnson up for a potentially politically advantageous meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Trump as the motion to vacate hangs over his head.<\/p>\n<p>Following a failed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-senate-democrats-strike-deal-on-stimulus-check-thresholds-unemployment-boost\/\" title=\"Biden, Senate Democrats Strike Deal on Stimulus Check Thresholds, Unemployment Boost\">amendment vote<\/a> on warrant requirements, Johnson immediately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/2964476\/johnson-catches-heat-tie-breaker-fisa-warrants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>faced severe backlash<\/a> from several hard-line House Republicans who felt the speaker was a \u201ctiebreaker\u201d for the provision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe speaker doesn\u2019t always vote in the House, but he was the tiebreaker today. He voted against warrants,\u201d Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said following the amendment vote.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), in addition to arguing Johnson\u2019s vote \u201cbrought other members over to my side\u201d in favor of a motion to vacate, also indicated that the former president may not hand over his support to the speaker easily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s the leader of the party. He is the, you know, our Republican presidential candidate that I\u2019m supporting, and trying to help win in November,\u201d Greene said to reporters. \u201cHowever, after Johnson\u2019s vote, today, I can\u2019t imagine President Trump being very happy about that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While he seeks to garner support among his colleagues, Johnson gained an edge at his meeting with Trump on Friday after the former president <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2964177\/trump-defends-mike-johnson-at-mar-a-lago-amid-threats-to-house-speakership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>issued public words of support<\/a> for Johnson, saying they have a \u201cvery good relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re getting along very well with the speaker, and I get along very well with Marjorie,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWe have a speaker. He was voted in, and it was a complicated process, and I think \u2026 it\u2019s not \u2026 an easy situation for any speaker. I think he\u2019s doing a very good job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s doing about as good as you\u2019re going to do. And I\u2019m sure that Marjorie understands that. She\u2019s a very good friend of mine. And I know she has a lot of respect for the speaker,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n<p>Following the passage of FISA, Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL), against whom Trump has called for a primary challenger, asked for a motion to reconsider the vote. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) motioned to table the reconsideration, forcing a vote on his motion for Monday. <\/p>\n<p>GOP FISA opponents seek to change minds over the weekend and scuttle sending the legislation over to the Senate. <\/p>\n<p>Regardless of the outcome of Johnson\u2019s meeting with the former president, some Republicans believe that the speaker\u2019s meeting with Trump was an essential career move.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s the head of our party, he should meet with him,\u201d Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) told reporters Thursday regarding Trump and Johnson. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis policy agenda is going to be largely what Republicans are going to look to adopt here on Capitol Hill,\u201d the Florida congressman continued. \u201cSo you know, whatever those conversations that need to take place, that\u2019s an important thing to do. And a lot of business gets done in person, not over the phone. So, I actually recommend he does it \u2014 I\u2019m glad he\u2019s going to do it. And you know, I think that dialogue should continue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Cami Mondeaux contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week, ex-President Trump demonstrated his significant influence over House Republicans, as Speaker Mike Johnson&#8217;s visit and a contentious legislative vote showcased the impact a few words from Trump can have. Since the House GOP gained the majority post-2022 midterms, Trump&#8217;s sway remains potent in shaping party dynamics and decisions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2220551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24103784306191-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2220550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24103784306191-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2220550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2220551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2220550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2220550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2220550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}