WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike Johnson , R-La. is backing some of the Republican lawmakers who helped throw the lower chamber into chaos last year by ousting former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif.
Johnson’s move comes as one of those lawmakers is competing against a strong primary challenger – and they’ve all faced the ire of their congressional colleagues for voting to boot the former speaker.
Johnson is slated to swing by Knoxville, Tennessee, Friday evening to fundraise for Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., one of the eight Republicans who joined all House Democrats to eject McCarthy. The stop is part of a greater trip across the state to support Tennessee’s GOP delegation.
Burchett, who could face competitive primary challenges, told USA TODAY on Monday that Johnson approached him after he was elected speaker last year and vowed to “help” Burchett throughout the 2024 election.
“He came by and said ‘Look, I know they’re gonna be gunning for you, and I’m not gonna be supporting any of that,’” Burchett said. The Tennessee conservative asked the speaker to stop by his district and “he agreed.”