Additional Coverage:
- GOP rep: Greene ‘has clearly gone off the deep end’ (newsbreak.com)
**GOP Rift Widens as Lawler Slams Greene’s Effort to Unseat Speaker Johnson**
In a sharp rebuke that underscored deepening fractures within the Republican Party, Representative Mike Lawler openly criticized colleague Marjorie Taylor Greene’s failed bid to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson from his leadership role. Lawler’s comments, poignant and laced with irony, slammed Greene for what he views as extreme and irrational behavior, referring to her derisively as “Moscow Marjorie,” and suggesting her actions could be the result of “maybe the result of a space laser.”
The reference to a “space laser” harks back to a controversial 2018 social media post by Greene, which posited that a laser beam—potentially linked to a prominent Jewish family—was responsible for igniting wildfires in California, a claim widely dismissed and condemned for its baseless and antisemitic undertones.
Greene’s latest controversial act, an attempt to dethrone Speaker Johnson, was summarily squashed in a decisive 359-43-7 vote, demonstrating broad bipartisan support for Johnson and a clear repudiation of Greene’s tactics. Lawler was quick to connect Greene’s disruptive actions to broader issues facing the Republican Party, criticizing her and others for hampering the Speaker’s ability to lead effectively and thereby stalling legislative progress on conservative goals.
Echoing Lawler’s sentiments, Representative Steve Womack denounced Greene’s move as a “petty political stunt,” emphasizing the urgent need for the party to unite in governance and push forward the conservative agenda.
In the aftermath of the tumultuous vote, Speaker Johnson publicly thanked his colleagues for their solidarity, promising to continue his leadership with a focus on integrity and the greater good. “I am committed to doing my job and doing what I believe is right,” Johnson stated, signaling his determination to move past the incident and lead the House towards productive governance.
The internal disarray highlighted by this incident raises questions about the GOP’s ability to unify its members and effectively pursue its legislative priorities, at a time when the party faces significant challenges both within its ranks and on the national stage.
Read More About This Story:
- GOP rep: Greene ‘has clearly gone off the deep end’ (newsbreak.com)