Fox News Politics: Trump and Hunter find common ground
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening? -Hillary Clinton tells voters to ‘get over it’ -Biden looks to flip Florida blue -Hogan looks to flip Maryland Senate seat red Both Former President Trump and Hunter Biden have accuse the Justice Department bringing politically biased charges. Trump, ahead of campaign stops in the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin, claimed Biden has “orchestrated” every lawsuit and indictment against him with the help of the Justice Department. “Please remember, ALL of these Lawsuits, Charges, and Indictments that have been brought against me have been orchestrated and coordinated by Crooked Joe Biden, the White House, and the DOJ, as an ATTACK ON CROOKED’S POLITICAL OPPONENT, ME,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account Tuesday morning. Similarly, Hunter Biden’s attorney blasted the decision by a federal judge who refused to dismiss tax charges against the first son, saying they will continue to fight the “abnormal way” Special Counsel David Weiss has handled the case. The attorneys have claimed the special counsel brought charges after pressure from Republicans. “We strongly disagree with the Court’s decision and will continue to vigorously pursue Mr. Biden’s challenges to the abnormal way the Special Counsel handled this investigation and charged this case,” Biden attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement Tuesday. ‘ORCHESTRATED’ BY BIDEN: Trump says his legal challenges are ‘orchestrated’ by Biden ahead of campaign stops in battleground states …Read more ‘ABNORMAL’ CASE: Hunter Biden attorney slams ‘abnormal way’ Special Counsel Weiss handled case, after judge refuses dismissal …Read more IN WITH THE NEW: Blinken announces appointment of latest chief diversity and inclusion officer …Read more BIDEN-XI CALL: Leaders speak on phone about topics including Taiwan, AI, trade …Read more INTERNAL STRUGGLE: McConnell, stating Russa-Ukraine conflict poses ‘worldwide problem,’ says he will focus on dealing with isolationists within GOP …Read more BREAKING THE CHAIN: House Republicans eye crackdown on ‘chain migration’ to U.S. …Read more ‘KNEW THEIR COORDINATES’: Tlaib accuses Israel of intentionally killing World Central Kitchen workers …Read more GET OVER IT: Hillary Clinton has blunt message for voters upset by Trump-Biden rematch …Read more BLEEDING SUPPORT: James Carville warns Democratic Party seeing ‘horrifying’ numbers showing loss of young minority voters …Read more PIPE DREAM?: Biden campaign believes president can flip Florida blue, citing Trump legal and financial woes …Read more FLIP THE SENATE: Hogan looks to turn Maryland Senate seat red with campaign bus tour …Read more ‘RUBBER STAMP ROSEN’: Former Trump official makes waves in critical battleground Senate race ahead of GOP primary …Read more DAKOTA DROPOUT: Democrat drops longshot bid to replace Burgum as North Dakota’s governor …Read more SCOTUS MEMOIR: Retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy to release memoir reflecting on growing up, landmark cases …Read more ‘IT’S ABOUT RACE’: New York federal judge says FDNY booing of Letitia James, pro-Trump chants reveals systemic problem …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred voted for TikTok ban despite continuing to use the app
Allred is the delegation’s most prolific user of the app. He said he voted for the legislation because of national security concerns.
White House pressed on whether Biden believes border crossers could be in US plotting terror attack on America
The White House on Tuesday answered whether President Biden believes that some of those crossing the border illegally could be in the U.S. plotting a terror attack on the homeland. Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, if, as the person in charge of “preventing a terrorist attack in the homeland, does President Biden think that some of these border crossers could be in the United States right now plotting a terrorist attack against Americans?” “The president is confident that throughout the interagency – DHS, intelligence community – that we’re doing everything we can to be as vigilant as we can to ensure the safety and security of the American people here at home,” Kirby said at a press briefing, before pivoting to another reporter. Doocy had initially referenced how former President Trump is scheduled to appear in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to deliver a speech about what his campaign calls “Biden’s Border Bloodbath.” TRUMP SAYS BIDEN ‘ORCHESTRATED’ LEGAL CHALLENGES AHEAD OF CAMPAIGN STOPS IN BATTLEGROUND STATES During the speech later Tuesday, Trump is expected to discuss the killing of Ruby Garcia, a Michigan woman who was found dead on the side of a Grand Rapids highway on March 22. Police say Garcia was in a romantic relationship with the suspect, Brandon Ortiz-Vite. He told police he shot her multiple times during an argument before dropping her body on the side of the road and driving off in her red Mazda. Authorities say Ortiz-Vite is a citizen of Mexico and had previously been deported following a drunk driving arrest, according to the Associated Press. “There’s another case of somebody who is in this country illegally allegedly murdering a young woman, this time in Michigan. Her name is Ruby Garcia. Donald Trump is out there now calling this Biden’s border bloodbath. What do you call it?” Doocy asked during Tuesday’s White House press briefing. Kirby said he was not aware of the specifics of the case, calling Garcia’s death “terrible news” and offering the woman’s family thoughts and prayers before deferring to local law enforcement. BORDER PATROL CHIEF SUGGESTS ‘JAIL TIME,’ TOUGHER ‘CONSEQUENCES’ TO STOP ILLEGAL US-MEXICO BORDER CROSSINGS “So, why don’t we let the judicial process play out here before we start making grandiose bumper-sticker comments about what this says about the border?” Kirby added. “And, Peter, to folks that are concerned about border security, the president will be the first one to stand up here and say he agrees that the border does need some security capabilities, that we do need more Border Patrol agents. And all that has to happen is for the speaker to do his job, put that supplemental [bill] on the floor. Let’s get a vote. Let’s get those 1,300 additional Border Patrol agents down there to do their jobs.” Kirby and Doocy proceeded to spar over the border supplemental package, which the White House has repeatedly called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to call the bill to a vote in the lower chamber. Republicans, meanwhile, have pressed Biden to take executive action to address the crisis. “The bill’s dead,” Doocy said, prompting Kirby to retort, “Says you. When’s the vote?” Doocy went on to say, “There are real problems at the border while that bill just languishes, right? The chief of the Border Patrol is saying exactly 140,000 gotaways. If we don’t know who is coming into our country, and we don’t know what their intent is, that is a threat. Does President Biden agree?” “The president absolutely believes that along that border, we do have significant national security concerns that have to be met,” Kirby said. “But you said something really good in your question that I loved that … while these concerns are going on, the bill languishes. So, what’s needed? It’s not anything more from the president. What’s needed is for Speaker Johnson to do his job, get that thing on the floor. Let’s get a vote on it. They had a chance and decided not to act because certain people in House Republican world wanted a problem rather than a solution.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Blinken appoints new chief diversity and inclusion officer to build ‘workforce that reflects America’
The State Department has tapped a new chief diversity and inclusion officer, just months after it defended a memo from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that urged staffers to steer clear of gendered language such as “mother” and “manpower.” Blinken announced Tuesday that Zakiya Carr Johnson, who previously worked at the State Department from 2010 to 2017, had been tapped to lead the State Department’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion in an effort to “advance our deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the Department.” Tasked with constructing “a workforce that reflects America,” Johnson will replace Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, who served as the State Department’s chief diversity and inclusion officer from April 2021 to June 2023. Conny Mayer briefly served in the position as acting chief diversity and inclusion officer. CONGRESSIONAL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICE SHUT DOWN BY $1.2T GOVERNMENT FUNDING DEAL “Over the past three years, the Department of State has made significant progress on this front but there remains work to be done,” Blinken said. “We will continue to pursue this mission aggressively, because recruiting, nurturing, and promoting the most capable workforce possible is critical to our national security.” Speaking highly of Johnson, Blinken said her “previous work promoting entrepreneurship and access to opportunity for underrepresented populations, as well as her commitment to inclusive leadership make us stronger, smarter, and more innovative.” “All of us at the Department must work to advance DEIA if we are to create the inclusive workplace environment we need to continue to attract and retain the nation’s top talent. When the people making decisions on behalf of the American people don’t reflect the full diversity of our nation, we all lose, and our national security is weaker,” Blinken added in the announcement. The position of chief diversity and inclusion officer was created in 2021 by Blinken, who said at the time he was “committed to bringing the diversity and inclusion work already underway at the State Department to the next level.” In announcing the position, Blinken said in February 2021 that the individual in the role will “hold senior leadership accountable” for implementing new diversity and inclusion programs and report directly to him. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts have been at the forefront of priorities for the administration ever since President Biden took power in January 2021. Earlier this year, Blinken sent a memo to State Department employees, warning them against using certain gender-specific language. The memo, titled “Modeling DEIA: Gender Identity Best Practices,” aimed to “increase understanding of gender identity and provide guidance on gender identity language and best practices that support an inclusive work environment.” BIDEN’S INTEL COMMUNITY CIRCULATES DEI NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTING CROSS-DRESSING, INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE “When speaking, avoid using phrases like ‘brave men and women on the front lines,’” said Blinken’s Feb. 5 cable, which was first obtained by the National Review. Instead, State Department staffers were urged to “use more specific language such as ‘brave first responders,’ ‘brave soldiers,’ or ‘brave DS agents.’” The State Department defended Blinken’s memo later, insisting it’s the “respectful” thing to do. “If you look at that memo, as I have done, it’s a standard government practice to try to encourage people to just to be respectful of others, and use the terms with which others are comfortable, and talk to people the way that they would like to be addressed. And nothing more than that,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a February press briefing. Miller said that though the memo had Blinken’s name on it, it did not necessarily come directly from the secretary. “When it comes to these types of cables, they all come out with the secretary’s signature on it. That’s the standard department practice, has been for years. It doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily a memo from the secretary himself,” he said at the time. The guidance reportedly runs through a list of gendered phrases and words that should be avoided, including: “manpower,” “you guys,” “ladies and gentlemen,” “mother/father,” “son/daughter” and “husband/wife.” Instead, the memo urged staff to use “labor force,” “everyone,” “folks,” “you all,” “parent,” “child,” “spouse” or partner.” The cable also cautioned employees against assuming someone’s gender based on how they look or their name and urged them to use “gender-neutral language whenever possible” to “show respect and avoid misunderstandings,” the guidance continued, and encouraged employees to include their preferred pronouns in emails or during meetings. The State Department is charged with advising the president on foreign policy, as well as negotiating agreements with other nations. The memo was published as the U.S. grapples with ongoing wars raging between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the war in Israel, and just days after the U.S. launched strikes on Iranian-backed militants following the deaths of three American service members. Other agencies under the Biden administration have rolled out guidance on inclusive and non-gendered language, including pronoun guidance for the Department of Health and Human Services that was slammed by an expert last year as violating employee rights and speculating it would lead to firings for “misgendering.” Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Federal court strikes down Biden’s climate rule for states
A federal district court has overturned the Biden administration’s climate rule that required states to track and set reduction goals for greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles on highways. In a sweeping judgment late Monday, Judge Benjamin Beaton of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky ordered the Federal Highway Administration to stand down on the rules, which the agency finalized in November. The ruling represents a major victory for the State of Kentucky, which challenged the regulations alongside 21 other states. “President Biden’s radical environmental agenda has lost touch with reality, and Kentucky families, farmers and workers are paying the price,” Republican state Attorney General Russell Coleman said on Tuesday. “Like all Americans, Kentuckians love our trucks, cars and vans. With this victory in court, we’re slamming the brakes on the Biden administration’s politics that make no sense in the commonwealth.” Kentucky filed the lawsuit in December, one month after the FHWA finalized the regulations. According to the lawsuit, the FHWA overstepped its legal authority in attempting to regulate vehicle emissions since it attempted to force states to implement federal regulations. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT BLOWS UP BIDEN’S CARBON EMISSIONS DISCLOSURE RULE Beaton agreed in his ruling, declaring that the regulations exceed the FHWA’s statutory authority and are “arbitrary and capricious.” Instead of granting plaintiff states’ motion for preliminary injunction – which would have blocked the rule during litigation – he granted their motion for summary judgment, vacating the rule immediately. “If Congress did purport to give the Administrator authority to set state policy, that would raise a different and arguably bigger problem,” Beaton wrote in his ruling. “Modern constitutional doctrine allows Congress to demand much from states, but it cannot commandeer or coerce the apparatus of state governments into mere administrative districts of the federal government.” “If the Administrator were allowed to shove national greenhouse-gas policy into the mouths of uncooperative state Departments of Transportation, this would corrupt the separation of sovereigns central to our lasting and vibrant system of federalism,” he continued. “Neither the Constitution nor the Administrative Procedure Act authorizes administrative ventriloquism.” BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE DELIVERS BLOW TO CLIMATE LAWSUIT TARGETING GAS STOVES After FHWA finalized the rules on Nov. 22, the agency said the action supports President Biden’s “whole-of-government approach” of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the time that the regulations provide states with the flexibility to set their own climate targets. But the 22 states that challenged the action in court, in addition to industry groups such as the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, argued the regulations did the opposite, restricting state efforts and mandating they conform with federal efforts. In addition, the ruling Monday comes shortly after a federal court in Texas similarly struck down the regulations. In that case, Texas had filed a lawsuit as the sole plaintiff. “The Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration remain committed to supporting the Biden-Harris administration’s climate goals of cutting carbon pollution in half by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050,” an FHWA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “We are reviewing the court’s decision and determining next steps.”
Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency: Know polling date, candidates list, past election results
Coimbatore, located in the western part of Tamil Nadu is one of the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state. It is the second-largest city in Tamil Nadu and has approximately 30.81 lakh voters, according to the electoral roll.
Democrat drops longshot bid to replace Burgum as North Dakota’s governor
A Democratic candidate for North Dakota governor has ended his long-shot campaign. TRUMP-ALIGNED CANDIDATE FOR NORTH DAKOTA’S LONE HOUSE SEAT GETS BOOST FROM VIVEK RAMASWAMY Travis Hipsher, of Neche, announced his withdrawal on Sunday. The little-known Democrat, who is a security guard at a bus manufacturer, said he “didn’t have the numbers to continue to carry out the fight to get the endorsement” of the party at its convention later this week. Hipsher’s withdrawal essentially clears the way for state Sen. Merrill Piepkorn, of Fargo, to clinch the Democratic nod for governor. The party faces headwinds in Republican-dominant North Dakota, where Democrats haven’t won a statewide election since 2012. The Republican Party will also hold its state convention later this week, but some candidates are taking their campaigns to the June 11 primary election, when voters will determine the nominees for November. U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong and Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller are competing for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Independent Michael Coachman, a frequent statewide candidate, also is running for governor. Republican Gov. Doug Burgum is not seeking a third term.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy to release memoir reflecting on growing up, landmark cases
Retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy has a two-volume memoir coming out this fall, tracking his life from growing up in California to his 30 years on the court, when he cast key votes on landmark cases ranging from abortion to gay marriage to campaign finance. Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday that Kennedy’s “Life and Law: The Early Years” and “Life and Law: The Court Years” will be published Oct. 1, as a boxed set and in individual editions, each around 320 pages. Kennedy was widely regarded as a moderate conservative who wrote the majority opinion on such closely divided cases as Obergefell v. Hodges, which found a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allowed corporations and other outside entities to spend unlimited money on election campaigns. “In ‘Life and Law,’ he explains the why’s and how’s of judging,” Simon & Schuster’s announcement reads in part. GOP STATE AGS PRESS SUPREME COURT TO TAKE UP HAWAII CLIMATE CHANGE CASE THEY SAY IS ‘GRAVE THREAT’ “The second volume is filled with moving portraits of Justices O’Connor, Rehnquist, Scalia and Ginsburg that go along with the account of how Kennedy decided his views in the landmark cases. But it is the first volume about his youth in Sacramento and his decade as a practicing lawyer that explains the judicial giant. Readers will see the child who turns into the man, who shaped America as much as any Washington figure in the 21st century.” Kennedy, 87, noted in the preface to the first volume that his memoirs proved more expansive than originally planned. “It was my intent (my right hand is raised to swear it so) to recount my earlier years in a summary way. But something happened on the way to the pencil,” he wrote. “More and more of my recollections turned to how our society and its mindset changed in fascinating ways from the ’40s and ’50s to the ’60s and then again in the ’70s. This seemed relevant to the dynamics that influenced me and our larger society.” “As each day passes, we should strive to learn more about who we are and whom we should strive to become,” he added. “Writing a memoir is a formal way to do this.” Kennedy was an associate justice from 1988-2018 and his arrival and departure proved equally newsworthy. He was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan, but only after the Senate had voted down Reagan’s first choice, Robert Bork, and after the second choice, Douglas Ginsburg, withdrew amid reports he had smoked marijuana. When Kennedy announced in 2018 that he was stepping down, President Donald Trump nominated a former Kennedy law clerk, Brett Kavanaugh, who was narrowly approved by the Senate after contentious confirmation hearings that included allegations Kavanaugh had assaulted a high school acquaintance, Christine Blasey Ford. Kennedy’s book will arrive soon after Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s memoir “Lovely One,” which comes out Sept. 3.
Former Trump official shakes up crucial battleground Senate race with major announcement
EXCLUSIVE: A former Trump official is making waves in one of this year’s crucial battleground Senate races, one that could determine whether Republicans win control of the Senate from Democrats. On Tuesday, Republican Nevada Senate candidate Jeff Gunter, the former U.S. ambassador to Iceland, announced his campaign would be ramping up ahead of the state’s June 11 primary by launching a multi-million dollar ad campaign that will run in all major television markets from Las Vegas to Reno. It will also include radio and digital advertising, as well as texting. The $3.3 million buy, which includes an ad praising Gunter as “110% pro-Trump,” comes as a major challenge to Gunter’s primary opponent, former U.S. Army officer Sam Brown. A number of national Republicans, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the group tasked with winning a majority for the GOP — have already backed Brown. INDIANA DAD WHO LOST YOUNGEST SON TO FENTANYL RUNS FOR CONGRESS TO END TRAGEDIES OF BORDER CRISIS In an interview with Fox News Digital ahead of the buy announcement, Gunter touted his belief in “America First policies,” his support for former President Donald Trump, and that he was the only candidate capable of defeating incumbent Democrat Sen. Jacky Rosen in the November general election. “It’s quite simple. If not now, when? And the reality is, if not me, who else?” Gunter, a dermatologist, said as he referenced his decades of experience treating patients in Nevada and his time serving as a diplomat overseas. “We have people pouring over our border. We have kids dying of fentanyl. We have crime in the streets. We have chaos around the world internationally … Can I just sit back at home and do nothing given the depth and breadth of experience and who I am? And the answer is absolutely not,” he said. Gunter detailed how he — prior to being nominated by Trump for the ambassador role in 2018 — was a disaffected Democrat, and compared that experience to the late former President Ronald Reagan’s famous line: “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.” SWING STATE HOUSE HOPEFUL CHANGES TUNE AFTER SCRUBBING VIOLENT CRIME DEFENSES FROM LAW FIRM WEBSITE “For me, that process started after 9/11. We saw … extreme left-wing progressives were taking over the Democrat Party. It is not a party that someone like John F. Kennedy would be a part of. It’s become a bunch of radical progressives that are leaning and pushing a Marxist agenda, and there is no doubt about that,” Gunter said. “The Democrat Party is no place for me. The Democrat Party is no place for Nevada. The Democrat Party, honestly, is no place for Jacky Rosen. And, that’s why when I’m the next U.S. senator, we’re going to replace her, and we’re going to replace her with strong conservative America First principles and values, and that’s going to create greatness here in Nevada,” he added. Gunter faces a crowded Republican primary field that most notably includes Brown, veteran Air Force pilot Tony Grady, and former state Assemblyman Jim Marchant, among a number of others. To become the party’s nominee in November, Gunter says to look no further than the support he gives his old boss. NEW JERSEY DEMOCRAT FACING PRESSURE TO RESIGN AFTER MOCKING EASTER ONLINE WITH DRAG, ABORTION REFERENCES “If you look at my campaign, I’m 110% supportive of Donald Trump … Look at his policies. Look what he’s done. Look at the 1% inflation and 3.5% unemployment, no endless wars, stability around the world, closing our border, stopping crime, giving us the greatest tax cut ever in American history, and really unifying so many of us around those amazing America First principles. It’s very Reaganesque,” Gunter said. “We have a newfound patriotism with President Trump, and also a newfound common sense. So much of what President Trump says is just plain common sense. And that was really the wisdom that Ronald Reagan imparted to us during the Reagan Revolution. And that’s what we saw also during the Trump years as well,” he added. Should Gunter become the Republican nominee, he will have to face another challenging obstacle in his path to the Senate, one that has escaped Nevada Republicans in recent election cycles: Ousting a Democrat incumbent. The party came close to defeating incumbent Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto with former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt in 2022, but ultimately fell less than 8,000 votes short. Republicans hope Trump’s presence on the ballot — in tandem with President Biden’s unpopularity — will drive more GOP-leaning voters to the polls, something Gunter said would fall heavily in his favor if he was the nominee. DEMOCRATS RIPPED FOR TRYING TO ‘KILL DEMOCRACY’ WITH EFFORT TO PROTECT BIDEN, SILENCE THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES “One of the great advocates that I have for me winning the U.S. Senate is Joe Biden. He’s an absolute complete 100% disaster,” he said before adding that Republicans also needed to “aggressively pursue” ballot harvesting and “beat Democrats at their own game.” “When people look to Jacky Rosen — rubber stamp Rosen, 93% voting supporting Joe Biden … That’s not good for Nevada. It’s not good for America. That voting creates the inflation that we’ve had, creates the instability around the world, creates wars that are just endless, whether it’s in Ukraine or the Middle East,” he said. “Her votes and her support of Joe Biden help me and help all of us put America First policies forward. But we take back not only the White House with Donald Trump, but we take back the Senate with a big red wave coming out of Nevada, and going across the country,” he added. Fox News Digital has reached out to Rosen’s campaign for comment. Elections analysts rate the race as either “lean” or “tilt” Democratic. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
I want my MTV (Motion to Vacate): Speaker Johnson faces potential threat when Congress returns
Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers of The Police all yelled into the camera: “I want my MTV!” Then came Pat Benatar, doing the same thing, followed by Pete Townshend of The Who, all demanding their “MTV.” Finally, The Police show back up on the screen. They warble something which sounds roughly like the tune of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.” Then hoist telephone receivers. “Call your cable company… and sing ‘I want my MTV!’” The Police ordered. And to think that lawmakers were mad about TikTok imploring teenagers to phone Congress, urging a no vote on a bill to curb use of the social media app in the U.S. Well, there are a few lawmakers who want their MTV, too. Many actually wish it would go away. When it comes to MTV, we’re not talking about “Music Television.” SPEAKER JOHNSON: I UNDERSTAND AND AGREE WITH REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE’S CONCERNS In this instance, MTV means a “motion to vacate” the chair. That’s the formal parliamentary maneuver to force a speaker of the House out the door. But in congressional shorthand, it’s an “MTV.” When do Martha Quinn, Nina Blackwood and Alan Hunter show up? So guess who wants her MTV? MTG – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. Video Killed the Radio Star. But a successful MTV could kill the political future of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Greene recently prepped an MTV, telling Johnson to Beat It. This is the same gambit Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., engineered to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last fall. “Speaker Johnson has betrayed our conference and broken our rules,” Greene said after introducing her measure last month to remove the speaker. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE FILES MOTION TO OUST SPEAKER JOHNSON She was incensed that Johnson acceded to an agreement with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown and ignored the House’s internal “72 hour rule” to read legislation before taking a vote. The House passed the bill, 286-134. But only 101 Republicans supported it compared to 112 no’s – despite the GOP running the House. “This bill was basically a dream and a wish list for Democrats and the White House,” Greene said. “I do not wish to inflict pain on our conference and throw the House into chaos. But this is basically a warning. It’s time for us to go through the process. Take our time. And find a new speaker of the House that will stand with Republicans and our Republican majority instead of standing with Democrats.” Greene added that “the clock has started.” Clock the Heart? Boy George and Culture Club? Hardly. It’s more like Greene is channeling “With or Without You” by U2 when it comes to Johnson. The speaker might prefer another selection. Perhaps the legendary video Take On Me by the band a-ha. So who exactly would “take on” Johnson? Who would want the job? Could the Republican-controlled House even elect a new speaker? House Republicans churned through three speaker candidates and more than three weeks before they settled on Johnson last fall. Johnson may be left saying “domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,” if Greene forges ahead with her move. It’s important to note that Greene did not trigger her MTV right away. A “motion to vacate the chair” is of high privilege in the House. If Greene insists that the House consider her no confidence vote for Johnson, the House must bring it up on the spot or within two legislative days. The House is out of session until April 8, so nothing will happen right away. But note that Greene’s MTV measure does not belong to her. Now that Greene presented her MTV, any House member could seize it and require the House to consider it. The resolution is not Greene’s “prerogative,” as Bobby Brown might sing. It’s even possible – but not likely – that the House Republican leadership or a Johnson ally could put Greene’s resolution on the floor and force a vote if they thought the speaker would prevail. That move would euthanize Greene’s effort and demonstrate that Johnson has the support he needs to remain speaker. Think of that move as calling Greene’s bluff to show that Johnson would have the votes to defeat an uprising. Greene’s tactic mirrors what former Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., did in the summer of 2015. The future Trump White House chief of staff drafted a very similar resolution to try to oust then-House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. But like Greene, Meadows just filed his motion. He didn’t launch it, requiring the House to consider the plan. No fool, Boehner took a page out of Young MC’s songbook and busted a move out of Congress by autumn. Last October’s surprise removal of McCarthy followed a similar path with the MTV. Gaetz crafted a resolution to demand a confidence vote on the former speaker. “We intend to use it,” said Gaetz, adding that a MTV “is not something that we put on a shelf to admire.” However, for what it’s worth, a copy of Gaetz’s resolution was discovered on a baby changing table in the first floor men’s room of the Capitol. Really. McCarthy was doomed as soon as he put an interim spending bill on the floor and passed it mostly with Democratic votes in late September. Gaetz demanded the House consider his MTV shortly thereafter. The first vote was on the motion to table or set aside the resolution. But McCarthy lacked the support to survive on the motion to table. Had the House voted to table, Gaetz’s gig was up. But the House defeated the motion to table. That prompted an up/down vote on the MTV itself. And the House voted to throw out its speaker for the first time in history. Or as Prince might sing in “1999,” “Life is just a party. And parties weren’t meant to last.” It is generally believed that Johnson might fare better than McCarthy if Greene made her MTV “live.” First of all, members from both