MAGA Is Numbering Mike Johnson's Days As Speaker
Credit: Composite via @bluegal
February 7, 2024

Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson was elected Speaker of the House late last October, and for this dysfunctional Congress, that's longer than expected. But it's been an embarrassing week for MAGA Mike, and it's only Wednesday.

There are grumblings of dissatisfaction from House Republicans with their newish Speaker after failing to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and failing to pass a clean $17.6 billion Israel aid bill on Tuesday. The look on Preacher Johnson's face spoke volumes, but MAGA never learns. They continue to break things instead of fixing them. Like with the border bill they desperately wanted for years, then sabotaged it. They killed their own bill. That's pretty bad. According to Politico, some Republicans are unhappy with Mike.

"Getting rid of Speaker McCarthy has officially turned into an unmitigated disaster," Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said on X. "All work on separate spending bills has ceased. Spending reductions have been traded for spending increases. Warrantless spying has been temporarily extended. Our majority has shrunk."

After Republicans built their case for months to impeach Mayorkas, they failed in a 214-216 vote Tuesday after four Republicans sided with Democrats. The public setback underscores the deep divisions within the conference, exacerbated by their thin majority.

Minutes after the impeachment vote failed, the measure to aid Israel in its war against Hamas went down 250-180. Nearly four dozen Democrats voted yes while more than a dozen Republicans opposed the measure.

"This is nothing short of embarrassing," said Brittany Martinez, a former spokesperson for Kevin McCarthy. "With such a slim majority, two back-to-back failed votes signal that Leadership doesn't have a hold of their Conference."

MAGA Mike can't do math.

Earlier Tuesday, Johnson predicted to reporters that he believed they would have the votes to impeach Mayorkas, even as he faced growing skepticism from within his own ranks and multiple holdouts refused to sign on.

"The House could really use Kevin McCarthy's leadership right now," said Mike Madrid, a California Republican consultant and a co-founder of the Lincoln Project.

Math is hard. But former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi never had a problem counting votes. That's because she was good at her job whether you love or hate her. Another massive embarrassment for Republicans is Trump's loss in court when he failed to secure immunity for any (alleged!) crimes he committed, with one colossal crime being done on camera on Jan. 6th. The thing is, Trump desperately wanted that immunity card because he knows he broke laws. He knows he's guilty. It's like when Reps Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and four other Republicans requested blanket pardons before Lumpy exited the White House in disgrace. They, too, knew that laws were broken on Jan. 6th.

Next time, maybe don't back a guy who is facing 91 felonies, has been found liable for sexual abuse, has been impeached twice, and knows he is guilty of even more crimes. And maybe, just maybe, don't try to impeach a guy who hasn't broken any laws. That was a grudge move, nothing more, and all for the four times-indicted guy.

So, how long will Johnson last as Speaker? Tick-tock, Mike.

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