Mike Johnson (R‑LA) hoped Donald Trump could head off a brewing effort to remove him as House speaker.
But he is learning the limits of the former president’s power in an unruly and divided House where even a single Republican defection could prove fatal to his early speakership.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R‑GA), who is weighing a motion to oust Johnson, appeared unfazed by his pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago on Friday, where Trump gave the speaker his vote of confidence and called the move a distraction.
“Well, it’s unfortunate that people bring it up because we have much bigger problems,” Trump said.
The visit reflected Trump’s newfound sway in the party since clinching the delegates needed to become the Republican nominee for president. But Greene’s reaction only served to illustrate how deep-seated her frustrations …