In a fiery interview on Mornings with Maria, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) warned of the chaos that could erupt if Speaker Mike Johnson is removed from his leadership position just weeks before Congress is set to certify the electoral college results confirming President Trump’s victory. Speaking with Maria Bartiromo, Tenney highlighted the stakes for the GOP, calling for unity amid criticism of Johnson’s recent bipartisan spending deal.
Johnson’s decision to back a continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily fund the government has triggered a backlash among some Republicans. Critics argue the measure concedes too much to Democrat priorities, with Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) accusing GOP leadership of collaborating with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to craft a $1.7 trillion spending package behind closed doors.
During the interview, Bartiromo raised the names of potential replacements for Johnson, including Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN). The list even extended to unconventional candidates like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, highlighting the ongoing power struggle within the Republican Party.
However, Tenney warned that removing Johnson without a clear plan could paralyze Congress during a critical moment. “If we don’t have a speaker by January third, and we go through the circus we did last year with everybody leveraging Kevin McCarthy, we won’t be able to certify President Trump on January sixth,” Tenney said. “This is a presidential year. We cannot afford that kind of dysfunction.”
Tenney also defended Johnson, calling him a capable leader in a challenging environment. “He’s done a really good job as speaker in a really difficult situation. But here’s the situation: Who are they going to put in that’s going to do a better job?” she asked, emphasizing the risks of a prolonged leadership vacuum.
Be careful what you wish for.
To everyone calling for Mike Johnson’s head, if we do not have a Speaker of the House on January 6th…
WE CANT CERTIFY PRESIDENT TRUMP.
It’s clear that Mike Johnson is working with President Trump and has his support.
Let it play out. https://t.co/LEqqgOZt76 pic.twitter.com/8aL0uuJGyu
— TheStormHasArrived (@TheStormRedux) December 21, 2024
With the January 3 vote for House Speaker looming, Republicans face a high-stakes decision. The specter of the 15-ballot fight over Kevin McCarthy’s speakership earlier this year still looms large, and any delay in selecting a leader could disrupt the certification process and Trump’s path to the presidency.
Tenney’s warning underscores the broader challenge for the GOP: balancing internal divisions with the need to maintain focus on the party’s agenda under a new Trump administration. As Tenney put it, “Are we going to continue scapegoating a speaker doing a very tough job, or are we going to get serious about governing?”
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