House Republicans have seemingly decided to start a new tradition of kicking out their leader and subsequently disrupting any efforts for party coalescence every few months. Of course, it can be refreshing to see that weak policies are finally being scrutinized, however Republicans still don’t know how to do so effectively. Not only does this new destructive tradition symbolize how Republicans as a whole don’t know how to win, but how they are also, in a sense, allergic to it the rare times it happens. 

More than a month ago on March 22nd, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) began to float the idea of ousting Mike Johnson (R-LA) from the Speakership, apparently forgetting the weeks of turmoil her colleagues sent the House into six months prior (which, for context, she was against.) Or maybe not. Maybe her reason for doing this consists of attention-seeking, name building, and possibly a little genuineness. It could be a mixture, but that’s beside the point. When I say this, I know I will be going against most right-wingers, but it needs to be said. 

Mike Johnson is honorable, Mike Johnson is a genius, and Mike Johnson is right. 

Could I be missing something? Maybe, but considering the amount of time I’ve put into researching this, I highly doubt it, so let me state my case.

Firstly, Speaker Johnson is among the best the House Republicans are going to get. In the midst of MTG’s empty threats, the only semblance of a plan her supporters seem to have is to elect Jim Jordan as the new speaker, but it’s hard to believe that if chosen, Jordan would not do the same as Johnson is right now, because the speakership is an inherently difficult job. This is where Republicans’ misunderstanding of winning strategies begins to show. Greene has the issue pinpointed, however misjudges its source. It’s not Johnson’s fault that America’s place on the world stage is to defend other nations against our adversaries. I’m not saying this is good, but merely pointing out that as a modern-day empire, the United States is looked upon by weaker countries as a shoulder to lean on. If this is to be fixed, creating chaos every six to nine months isn’t going to help. 

Additionally, something that occurred to me during my research that MTG’s supporters overlook is the fact that the Speaker and Trump are in lockstep, which begs my question for those who believe Mike Johnson has failed us all. “If Trump has publicly supported Johnson as recently as their April 12th press briefing, doesn’t he probably have a plan?” Essentially, if Johnson truly was a Democrat operative, Trump, being the unpredictable orator he famously is, would have already crafted a nickname, paraded it around Truth Social, and made sure his ire for Mike Johnson was well known. Instead, realizing the gift he had been given when the notably strong Conservative obtained the gavel, Trump decided to use Johnson as an “in” to gain votes for 2024’s presidential and congressional elections. Moreover, much can be said about the various spending bills proposed and passed, but the most recent one granting 61 billion dollars to Ukraine is the most telling. Not only will it be made in the form of loans, but half of the loan will be able to be forgiven by the President in 6 months. Undoubtedly fresh on the minds of on-the-fence voters in November, Biden’s grand move to waive 30.5 billion dollars of Ukraine’s loan could play a major factor at the ballot box. Additionally, while FISA’s passing might have been massively disappointing to some, its traditional 5-year extension was shortened to a mere two years, “[buying] President Trump an at bat,” according to Rep. Gaetz. If Johnson voted against it, FISA, along with its potential two-year extension would be back up on the table, endangering its existence.

At the end of the day, the job of Speaker is near impossible, even more so when your entire base ostracizes you for trying to win while simultaneously screaming out “Lets win!” In politics, and anywhere really, winning isn’t pushing your policy through, implementing it 100% within 5 seconds of rising to a new level of power. Winning takes time, and sometimes compromise, which is something you need to know before trying to do it. Clearly, Greene has no plan as to what to do if she ever decides to oust Johnson (it’s already been a month since she first floated the idea). In order to win, sometimes you have to give them an inch, so you can set yourself up to later on take a mile.