Standing alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Friday, Donald Trump offered his most vocal support for the leader of the House as the threat of a motion to vacate hangs over his head from one of the former president’s staunchest supporters—Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
“We’re getting along very well with the speaker, and I get along with Marjorie,” Trump said when asked about the motion to vacate during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
“It’s not a very easy situation for any speaker. … I’m sure that Marjorie understands that and I know she has a lot of respect for the speaker.”
“I stand with the speaker,” Trump concluded.
This statement represents the most vocal Trump has been against the motion to vacate threat—which was also used earlier this year against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
When the motion to vacate against McCarthy was filed, Trump remained silent, not taking a stance one way or another—at least publicly. But after seeing the turmoil that resulted from McCarthy’s ouster, Trump now appears to be trying to tamp down any motion to vacate threat by publicly supporting Johnson—even if he didn’t directly say he opposes Greene’s attempt to oust him as speaker.
While he dodged the main question everyone wanted answers to—whether or not he opposes Greene trying to oust Johnson—he did express frustration that the motion to vacate has been used this Congress.
“It’s unfortunate that people keep bringing it up,” Trump said.