Tensions were high among House Republicans on Tuesday with a group of GOP hardliners threatening to protest Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership during the next day’s House GOP Conference leadership elections.
Three sources told Fox News Digital that members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus were exploring ways to show their discontent with House GOP leaders during the closed-door races to decide who will likely lead the majority next year.
Meanwhile, those threats sparked frustration among rank-and-file House Republicans, including one lawmaker who said such discussions were "just more stupid."
The heart of the issue lies in proposed rule changes that the House GOP Conference will also vote on, including a measure pushed by some Republicans to punish colleagues who purposely sink their own party’s legislation on the House floor by stripping their committee assignments.
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Johnson told Politico on Tuesday evening that he would not support "punitive" measures against people who blockade the House floor, but sources signaled that would not be enough.
"There's a difference between saying, ‘I don't support it’ and ‘I'm going to stop it.’ That's a big difference," one source said. "His easy route is just to say, ‘All right, no rules changes. We're just going to go forward.’"
Reports indicated earlier that Freedom Caucus members were looking for a candidate to challenge Johnson – something its chairman did not rule out.
"Having two people in a race is kind of the norm," Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told reporters when asked if his group was putting up a candidate. "We can do this Soviet-style, or we can do it American-style."
But no one candidate appeared to emerge as of Tuesday night, though Fox News Digital’s sources said conservatives could still coalesce around someone.
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Instead, Johnson’s GOP critics could seek a recorded vote where they could either simply vote against his candidacy for speaker or write another name in via secret ballot, Fox News Digital was told.
The discord comes as President-elect Donald Trump plans to address House Republicans on Wednesday morning ahead of their leadership races, two other sources familiar with planning told Fox News Digital.
Several GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital were frustrated that the public chaos that permeated the 118th Congress could once again rear its head – this time, when Republicans were poised to control all the levers of power in Washington.
"Frankly, I am tired of the instigators. I am tired of the conflict for the sake of conflict-type nonsense that happened last session," Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital.
Asked if lawmakers who help lead that charge should face consequences, Murphy said, "Absolutely. You can put that with an exclamation mark."
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Another GOP lawmaker said they were concerned about whether such a protest would lead to another messy House floor fight over the speakership, similar to the 15 rounds of voting ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., faced nearly two years ago.
"What would worry me is if they're willing to take that battle to the floor again. That's where it doesn't serve any kind of positive purpose at that point," that lawmaker said.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, posted on X, "Enough is enough with the unserious political games – we have work to do."
Others who have criticized Johnson in the past – like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. – signaled little appetite for supporting a challenger against Johnson, particularly if Trump backs the speaker on Wednesday morning.
The Hill was first to report that House Freedom Caucus members were seeking a challenger to Johnson.
