From the border to impeachment to the courts, gridlock reigns in Washington

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

The government of the most powerful country on earth is no longer functioning.

Every attempt to do just about anything goes down in flames.

This happens periodically in a capital built on a divided government established by the founders. But when you meld that with the hyper-partisan atmosphere that is now embedded in our culture – set against a momentous presidential election – things seem more dysfunctional than ever.

BIDEN KNEW THE BORDER BILL WAS ON LIFE SUPPORT AND WANTED TO BLAME TRUMP: HOWARD KURTZ

Neither side trusts the other. The paramount concern is the blame game, making sure the opposition party takes a hit when things fall apart.

At the same time, two major lawsuits, including one being heard by the Supreme Court today, will shape the 2024 election in ways we’ve never had to contemplate before.

The Trump team will try to convince the high court that Maine and Colorado acted illegally when they kicked the former president off the ballot. The appellate court ruling, which must be appealed to SCOTUS by Monday, says Donald Trump can’t be shielded from prosecution by unlimited immunity, especially after leaving office.

Who would ever have imagined that such battles would be fought for the first time in American history? Then again, we’ve never had an ex-president accused of criminal wrongdoing in four separate indictments–with the added twist that analysts agree the charges have boosted Trump’s campaign among the majority of Republicans who view him as being unfairly persecuted.

The long-running battle over the southern border is equally divisive. Now there’s no question that this is a major liability for President Biden, who has failed for more than three years to prevent record-setting waves of illegal migrants from flooding into the country. 

Why he hasn’t done more, on a problem that even big-city Democratic mayors say is damaging, is hard to fathom. It is, after all, the signature issue that helped Trump get elected in 2016.

WHAT BULLY PULPIT? WHY BIDEN STAYS OFF TELEVISION DURING BIG BREAKING NEWS

So both parties, at least in the Senate, made an all-out attempt to hammer out a resolution.

After four long months, they finally settled on compromise language involving asylum, parole and other thorny issues. Biden made more concessions than most thought he would–including the power to shut down the border if illegal crossings exceeded 5,000 a day (which still seems way high). The Border Patrol union backed the measure, as did the Wall Street Journal editorial page.

And more than just immigration was at stake. Foreign policy had to be baked into the cake. The president saw the measure as a tradeoff, with border security greasing the skids for long-stalled military aid to Israel and Ukraine.

But Trump, the unquestioned leader of the party, said the bill would be a death knell for Republicans and urged them to oppose it, to hold off until he took office. Trump invited them to "blame me." Biden said his likely opponent wanted the campaign issue more than a solution.

Once the bill’s text was released, Republicans started abandoning it in droves. There was little question that Trump was the motivating force. He is the party’s undisputed leader and on the verge of the nomination.

JEFFERIES DEFEND SURPRISE APPEARANCE BY TEXAS DEMOCRAT IN FAILED MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT VOTE

When Mitch McConnell, who strongly supports U.S. assistance to Ukraine, conceded the bill couldn’t pass, it was over. Ted Cruz called for McConnell to be ousted as minority leader.

Speaker Mike Johnson, just a few months into the job, does not want aid to Ukraine, but brought to the floor a stand-alone measure to provide billions to Israel. That failed by a sizable margin. Now there’s chatter that Johnson could suffer the same fate as Kevin McCarthy.

What’s more, Johnson revived an effort to impeach Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas – the first such attempt to oust a Cabinet officer in 150 years. The media and those on the Hill thought it would be a slam dunk.

But the maneuver failed by two votes, with three dissenting Republicans saying it wasn’t fair to impeach Mayorkas for carrying out Biden’s policies. So even that exercise in scapegoating was botched. Not that he would have been convicted by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

There’s a long way to go between now and November, both in Congress and the courts. But right now Washington is in a state of paralysis.

Shooting blanks: How Republicans misfired when they tried to impeach Mayorkas

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

"There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at with no result." – Winston Churchill

Late Secretary of War William Belknap can rest easy. He remains the sole U.S. cabinet official ever impeached. 

For now.

The House impeached Belknap in 1876. 

The House failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHY REP. BLAKE MOORE FLIPPED FROM YEA TO NAY ON IMPEACHING MAYORKAS

For now. 

Belknap’s ignominious status in American history is still in tact because – get this – a lawmaker required emergency surgery. Then when the infirm member unexpectedly surfaced at the Capitol, the House lacked the votes to propel Mayorkas into that elite pantheon occupied only by Belknap.

The Hippocratic Oath may read "do no harm." But it says nothing about hurting impeachment.

Republicans made impeachment of Mayorkas the touchstone of the 119th Congress. And after much braying about the border, the performance of Mayorkas and a myriad of other grievances, the House GOP stumbled when it really mattered. 

It failed to impeach Mayorkas.  

The vote was tight. Tighter than a new pair of shoes on a rainy day, as yours truly said live on the air during the vote.

215 yeas. 215 nays.

Three Republicans voted nay: Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) and Ken Buck (R-Colo.). 

But by rule, a tie vote loses in the House. 

Suddenly House Republican Conference Chairman Blake Moore (R-Utah), the fifth highest-ranking GOPer, switched his vote to nay.

Four Republican noes! 

The vote tally flipped to 214 yeas to 216 nays.

The gig was up. The House would not impeach Mayorkas.

SEN. RAND PAUL SLAMS GOP LEADERSHIP FOR 'DRAGGING' CAUCUS INTO 'DEAD' BIPARTISAN BORDER BILL WITH DEMOCRATS

So why would Moore, a senior member of the leadership, change his vote? A change of heart? Was this "Invasion of the Body Snatchers?" Was he turning rogue against his own party?

None of the above. 

Moore’s "nay" vote against impeaching Mayorkas deserves an asterisk compared to the votes of Gallagher, McClintock and Buck. Moore wants to impeach Mayorkas. In fact, Moore’s maneuver preserved the Republican gambit to potentially impeach Mayorkas in the future.

To wit:

House rules enable any member on the PREVAILING side of a roll call vote (in this instance, the NAYS) to "move to reconsider" a vote. In other words, demand a re-vote. 

Moore was a yea – but on the losing side. Gallagher, McClintock and Buck certainly weren’t going to move to order a re-vote. They opposed impeachment. So, someone on the GOP leadership needed to switch their vote to nay to potentially resuscitate the Mayorkas impeachment plan. 

Moore altered his vote to no. Not because he opposes impeaching Mayorkas. But now he was on the "winning" side." House Republicans could summon the Mayorkas impeachment vote again. In fact, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) probably would have changed his vote had he been present. But Scalise is out for cancer treatments and has not voted this year. Republicans might have the votes when Scalise returns. Republicans could also have reinforcements if the GOP wins the special election on Long Island next week. Republicans hope GOP nominee Mazi Melesa Pilip defeats former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) for the vacant seat once held by expelled former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.). Then Republicans might have the votes to impeach.

Scalise will be back. But if Suozzi defeats Pilip, it’s possible Republicans may never have the votes to impeach Mayorkas. 

House Republicans badly bungled impeachment. They violated a fundamental tenet of Capitol Hill.

It’s always about the math.  

The House took two roll call votes earlier on Tuesday. A total of 425 members in the 431 member House cast ballots. After the House finished a lengthy debate on impeaching Mayorkas, it was time to hold another vote series. However, Republicans made a decision not to vote on impeachment first. The House instead voted first on the "Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission Extension Act."

That proved to be a tactical error by the GOP. It created a false sense of security about the Mayorkas vote. 

Republicans wanted the House to vote first on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal bill to get a sense of the universe of members voting. The canal bill would serve as a "test" vote to determine how many Republicans the majority could lose on impeachment.

Wise move. But it backfired. 

SENATE TO VOTE ON FUNDING FOR ISRAEL AND UKRAINE AS IMMIGRATION DEAL SET TO GO DOWN IN FLAMES

Putting the canal bill first may have sunk impeachment.

Cry me a river. 

The House approved the bill about the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 427 to 2. So the total number of members voting rose from 425 earlier in the day to a new high-water mark of 429. There were two absences. Scalise and Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) who was out for surgery.

But that’s where the problem came. 

Republicans didn’t count on Green voting. Aides and medical attendants dramatically rolled Green into the Capitol in a wheelchair. He wore a blue hospital gown and tan footies. 

The universe of members casting ballots suddenly swelled to 430 as Green cast his ballot against impeachment. 

A senior House Democratic aide confided to Fox that putting the vote on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal helped the Democrats "hide" Green. That lured Republicans into a state of illusory comfort. They thought they had the votes to impeach, unaware that Democrats were about to thwart them.

Green may have been prone on a hospital gurney earlier in the day. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t put impeachment to bed. 

"He made it clear to me that it was important for him to be present to cast a vote against this sham impeachment led by (Rep.) Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), targeting a hard-working public servant like Secretary Mayorkas," said House Minority Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). 

Jeffries noted that he did not request that Green swoop in to short-circuit the impeachment vote. This was all on Green.

And so Republicans had a choice. Either let the vote fail 215-215. Or safeguard their options for later.

The GOP chose the latter.

Of course, impeachment resolutions are "privileged." That means any member could just put forth an impeachment plan again and the House would have to take it up. But by maintaining the current articles, the GOP also conserves the current investigation, committee report and other documents. This also gives Republicans more credibility if and when they present their impeachment articles to the Senate during a possible trial.

The House has only defeated articles of impeachment once before. The House only adopted two of the articles of impeachment leveled against former President Clinton in December 1997.

So Republicans may try impeachment again in the future. Maybe Scalise is here. Maybe Pilip wins. But you can never know exactly how many people are going to show up in the House.

You try to get 431 people in the same room at the same time. Members are always away for random reasons. Illness. Family commitments. Funerals. Events in the district. You name it. 

So Republicans took a shot at Mayorkas. And missed.

For now.

As Churchill said, that must be an exhilarating feeling for Mayorkas. 

Republicans took their shot. And got no result.

Foiled by a man in a hospital gown.

Marjorie Taylor Greene asks if Republicans are ‘being bribed’ to oppose impeachment

Posted on by Walter Einenkel

Marjorie Taylor Greene gave a doozy of an interview with right-wing podcast host Charlie Kirk on Wednesday to commiserate about House Republicans’ failed impeachment vote Tuesday of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

Greene has been big mad about the failed vote and, like many of her pro-impeachment colleagues, is looking for someone—anyone—to blame, including Democrats for trying “to throw us off on the numbers.” 

But Greene has plenty of disdain for the Republicans who voted against the bill too. When Kirk asked why Ken Buck of Colorado, Tom McClintock of California, and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin voted against impeachment, Greene seemed flabbergasted—but didn’t rule out the possibility that “they’re being bribed.”

Kirk fed the Georgia congresswoman the utterly baseless idea, asking, “Do you think these people are being blackmailed by the intel agencies? They might have had relations with certain  people and pictures and compromised. Do you think that they're currently being blackmailed?”

And Greene took the bait.

You know, I have no proof of that, but again, I can't understand the vote. So, nothing surprises me in Washington, D.C. anymore, Charlie. Literally, nothing surprises me because—it doesn't make sense to anyone, right? Why would anyone vote no? Why would anyone protect Mayorkas unless they're being bribed, unless there's something going on, unless they're making a deal. You know, because you can't understand it. It makes no sense. And it's completely wrong to vote no on impeachment.

YouTube Video

Greene also speculated that Buck, who is retiring, is “trying to get a job working for CNN like Adam Kinzinger.” She insisted that McClintock is clearly not a real “constitutionalist.” And after listing off all of Gallagher’s military intelligence and military bonafides, she concluded, “I can't understand why he made that vote. But he did.” 

Greene might not understand it, but that doesn’t mean these Republican congressmen haven’t been clear and open about their reasons for voting against the impeachment stunt. 

Gallagher explained his opposition in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, titled “Why I Voted Against the Alejandro Mayorkas Impeachment.” 

“Creating a new, lower standard for impeachment, one without any clear limiting principle, wouldn’t secure the border or hold Mr. Biden accountable,” he wrote. “It would only pry open the Pandora’s box of perpetual impeachment.”

McClintock also explained his opposition in a speech on the House floor before Tuesday’s vote.

“Cabinet secretaries can't serve two masters. They can be impeached for committing a crime related to their office but not for carrying out presidential policy,” he said. “I'm afraid that stunts like this don't help."

On Wednesday, McClintock appeared on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” to again defend his vote, and responded to Greene saying McClintock needs to “read the room.

“I suggest she read the Constitution that she took an oath to support and defend,” he said. “That Constitution very clearly lays out the grounds for impeachment,” he said. “This dumbs down those grounds dramatically and would set a precedent that could be turned against the conservatives on the Supreme Court or a future Republican administration the moment the Democrats take control of the Congress.”

Nevertheless, Greene “can’t understand” why her Republican colleagues weren’t on board with her impeachment aspirations. It must be a conspiracy.  

Campaign Action

Garland says special counsel probing Biden classified records has submitted report, under White House review

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Attorney General Merrick Garland notified congressional lawmakers that Special Counsel Robert Hur has submitted his final report after months of investigating President Biden’s alleged improper retention of classified records.

Garland, in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Ranking Member Jerry Nadler, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin and Ranking Member Lindsey Graham, Garland said Hur submitted the final report on Feb. 5 to the Justice Department.

BIDEN CAMP REPORTEDLY FEARS PHOTOS FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL CLASSIFIED DOCS PROBE COULD DEVASTATE REELECTION BID

"Prior to submitting his report to me, Special Counsel Hur engaged with the White House Counsel’s Office and President’s personal counsel to allow comments on the report," Garland wrote. "That included review by the White House Counsel’s Office for executive privilege consistent with the President’s constitutional prerogatives."

Garland, though, said the White House’s privilege review "has not yet concluded." 

"As I have made clear regarding each Special Counsel who has served since I have taken office, I am committed to making as much of the Special Counsel’s report public as possible, consistent with legal requirements and Department policy," Garland wrote.

Garland vowed to "produce to Congress the report, its appendices, and the letter from counsel following completion of the White House’s privilege review." 

Hur has been investigating Biden’s improper retention of classified records since last year. Reports suggest there will be no charges filed against the president. 

Classified records were first found inside the Washington, D.C., offices of the Penn Biden Center think tank on Nov. 2, 2022, but only disclosed to the public in early January 2023.

A second stash of classified documents was also found inside the garage of the president’s home in Wilmington in December but revealed to the public earlier this month, prompting Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint former U.S. Attorney Rob Hur to serve as special counsel.

Days later, additional classified documents were found in the president’s home in Delaware. The FBI conducted a more than 12-hour search of Biden’s Delaware home Friday, seizing additional classified records.

Biden has defended the storing of classified documents in the past.

"By the way, my Corvette is in a locked garage, so it's not like they're sitting out on the street," he once said.

But Garland, on Nov. 18, 2022, appointed former DOJ official Jack Smith to serve as special counsel to investigate whether Trump was improperly retaining classified records at Mar-a-Lago.

When Smith was appointed to investigate Trump, Garland and top DOJ officials were simultaneously conducting an internal review of President Biden’s mishandling of classified records. That review, and the discovery of classified records at Biden’s office, was not disclosed to the public until January.

BIDEN INTERVIEWED BY SPECIAL COUNSEL ABOUT CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS

Republicans and allies of former President Trump were outraged, blasting the Justice Department for a double standard.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony charges out of Smith's probe. The charges include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.

Trump, the 2024 GOP front-runner, was then charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment out of Smith’s investigation – an additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts. Trump pleaded not guilty.

That trial is set to begin on May 20, 2024. 

Biden's aides told Axios earlier this week that they are fearful former President Trump's campaign could use the photos against the Democrat incumbent ahead of their likely 2024 rematch.

COMER DEMANDS ANSWERS ON WHETHER BIDEN CLASSIFIED RECORDS MENTION COUNTRIES RELATED TO FAMILY BUSINESS DEALS

Anthony Coley, a former senior adviser to Garland, accused the Biden team of slow-walking discovery in the president’s classified records case, versus the handling of the Trump probe.

"Against the backdrop of former President Trump's indictment on charges of willful and deliberate retention of classified documents, the Biden team's drip, drip, drip of information made the discoveries seem even worse," he wrote in an op-ed.

Reports this week suggested the Biden campaign was concerned about potentially embarrassing photos included in Hur's expected report. 

The campaign was concerned that the images would show how Biden stored classified materials. The classified documents were carried over from Biden's time as former President Obama's vice president.

Hur interviewed Biden at the White House – an interview that lasted two days. The White House said the president’s interview with Hur was "voluntary."

Last year, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who is co-leading the impeachment inquiry against President Biden, began investigating whether the sensitive, classified documents Biden retained involved specific countries or individuals that had financial dealings with Biden family members or their related companies. 

Comer questioned why Biden would have kept certain classified materials and asked Hur to provide his committee with a list of the countries named in any documents with classification markings recovered from Penn Biden Center, Biden’s residence, including the garage, in Wilmington, Delaware, or elsewhere; and a list of all individuals named in those documents with classification markings; and all documents found with classified markings.

It is unclear if Hur cooperated with Comer's request. 

What’s next for border policy, Ukraine aid after Senate Republicans block bipartisan bill

Posted on by Lisa Desjardins
The future for the U.S. border crisis and for allies across the world rests with the Senate. Wednesday, Republicans blocked the bipartisan bill to address immigration and Ukraine funding. It follows an unusual day in the House where GOP leadership lost votes on articles of impeachment for Alejandro Mayorkas and a stand-alone aid package for Israel. Lisa Desjardins reports.
Posted in Uncategorized

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he won’t resign if impeached

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tells Fox News he would not resign if he were to be impeached. 

Mayorkas, 64, made these comments to Fox News’ Matt Finn during a security presser in Las Vegas ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday. 

"I’ll gladly answer it again. The allegations are baseless and I'm focused on the work, which was what brings me to Las Vegas today," Mayorkas said Wednesday. 

The comments come after a failed push by House Republicans to impeach the DHS secretary over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Republicans were forced to shelve the priority after a few GOP lawmakers refused to go along with the party’s plan. 

‘PRO-LIFE SPIDERMAN' ARRESTED AFTER CLIMBING LAS VEGAS SPHERE DURING SUPER BOWL WEEK

The stunning roll call Tuesday fell just a single vote short of impeaching Mayorkas, stalling the Republicans' drive to punish the Biden administration over its handling of the U.S-Mexico border. 

With Democrats united against the charges, the Republicans needed almost every vote from their slim majority to approve the articles of impeachment.

House Speaker Mike Johnson's spokesman Raj Shah said they "fully intend" to reconsider the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas "when we have the votes for passage."

But the next steps are uncertain. In the end, three Republicans opposed the impeachment, and a fourth Republican switched his vote so that the measure could be revisited. The final tally was 214-216.

Not since 1876 has a Cabinet secretary faced impeachment charges, and it's the first time a sitting secretary faced impeachment — 148 years ago, Secretary of War William Belknap resigned just before the vote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Jefferies defend surprise appearance by Texas Democrat in failed Mayorkas impeachment vote

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, D-New York, defended the surprise appearance of fellow Democrat Rep. Al Green of Texas during Tuesday's vote that ultimately tanked a Republican effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

"It’s not our responsibility to let House Republicans know which members will or will not be present on the House floor on any other day or in connection with any given vote," Jeffries told reporters Wednesday in the Capitol, The Hill reported. 

Green, who was receiving health care at a hospital, appeared in the House chamber in a wheelchair wearing hospital garb to cast his ballot. The move surprised Republicans, who had little wiggle room after three of their own voted no. 

GOP SENATORS RALLY AGAINST BIPARTISAN BORDER DEAL, CITING BIDEN’S POWER TO SUSPEND ‘EMERGENCY’ BILL

Fox News Digital has reached out to Green's office. 

The vote was 216-214. Lawmakers voted on a resolution combining two articles of impeachment accusing Mayorkas of having "refused to comply with Federal immigration laws" and the other of having violated "public trust."

They were Reps. Tom McClintock, R-Calif.; Ken Buck, R-Colo.; and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. The lawmakers said while they disapproved of the job Mayorkas is doing at the southern border, the threshold for impeachment had not been met, and warned it could be used against future Republican administrations.

SEN. TIM SCOTT A ‘HADES NO’ ON SENATE BORDER, IMMIGRATION DEAL

"We can basically … look at this as a game, unfortunately, and their strategy. And they hid one of their members, waiting to the last minute, watching to see our votes, trying to throw us off on the numbers that we had versus the numbers they had," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R- Georgia, said. "That was a strategy at play tonight."

Jefferies said Green wasn't coerced by his Democratic colleagues to participate in Tuesday's vote. 

"He has told his story directly and he made it clear to me that it was important for him to be present to cast a vote against this sham impeachment led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, targeting a hard-working public servant like Secretary Mayorkas," Jeffries said.

While speaking to reporters, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said the vote was changed when "people who show up when they’re not expected to be in the building."

Speaker Mike Johnson had a stunningly awful day—and he did it to himself

Posted on by Joan McCarter

House Speaker Mike Johnson is no Nancy Pelosi. In fact, he just put himself in the running for the worst speaker in the modern age, surpassing even ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy with unforced errors. His ineptitude was on full display Tuesday when he plowed ahead with two critical bills, knowing there was a very good chance of defeat. That’s either hubris—believing he could bully his way through—or wishful thinking, but either way, it’s incompetence.

Let’s start with the failed vote on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Impeaching a cabinet secretary is a very big deal. It hasn’t been tried since 1876, when the House impeached Secretary of War William Belknap for blatant corruption, taking kickbacks to fund an extravagant lifestyle. Even then, the Senate voted to acquit (though Belknap had already resigned). So what Johnson was doing with this impeachment resolution would already have been historical, even if it hadn’t been so blatantly unjustified. This is the epitome of the kind of vote you don’t gamble on, but that’s exactly what Johnson did.

He brought the resolution to the floor Tuesday, knowing that three Republicans opposed it. Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, who was supposedly the surprise “no” vote that tanked the resolution, says he had been telling leadership for months that he was against the impeachment. And while Johnson also knew that every Democrat would vote against it, he rolled the dice on Democratic Rep. Al Green not being present—and Johnson lost, which he also knew could happen.

As if that weren’t bad enough, Johnson made his day worse by pushing through a stand-alone Israel assistance bill that needed a two-thirds majority to pass. He knew that a majority of Democrats opposed it. He knew it would fail, and he inexplicably went with it anyway, apparently thinking he could blame the Democrats for defeating it. The end result, however, is that pro-Israel groups are now worried that this sends a message that Congress is divided on support.

Is Johnson feeling any chagrin over this debacle? Nope. It’s not his fault. Asked by reporters why he gambled on the impeachment resolution, he said, “[D]emocracy is messy. … We have a razor-thin margin here, and every vote counts. Sometimes, when you’re counting votes and people show up when they’re not expected to be in the building, it changes the equation.” Those tricky Democrats, all showing up to stand for the principle that you can’t impeach an official over a policy dispute.

Asked about criticism of his leadership and inexperience, including from his fellow Republicans, he said, “I don’t think that this is a reflection on the leader. It’s a reflection on the body itself and the place where we’ve come in this country.” That’s definitely hubris because it is all a reflection on his leadership.

You know who else had a razor-thin majority in a deeply divided Congress? That’s right, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who would have never allowed such a humiliating defeat to happen. In the previous session of Congress, with the slimmest Democratic majority in the House in roughly 80 years, Pelosi passed massive legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, American Rescue Plan Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act, all of which are helping drive the U.S. economy’s strong comeback.

Johnson’s going to try again on the impeachment resolution when Republican Rep. Steve Scalise returns following medical treatment, and on the Israel funding bill next week, but the outcome isn’t any more certain on either. Scalise might be able to return from his stem cell transplant recovery soon, or he might not. The special election to replace the expelled Rep. George Santos in New York next Tuesday could go to a Republican, or it could reduce the GOP majority by one more vote. And while Johnson is considering putting the Israel bill back on the floor through the rules process so it would just need a simple majority vote, that’s a dicey plan. One of the hard-line GOP Rules Committee members, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, is publicly trashing his leadership, saying replacing McCarthy has “officially turned into an unmitigated disaster.”

Johnson has demonstrated his incompetence and turned far-right members against him multiple times over. This debacle will only make the hard-liners madder and more ungovernable, and everyone else in the GOP conference frustrated. And this is what he has to work with to fund the government in about a month’s time.

RELATED STORIES:

House GOP’s unprecedented stunt to impeach Mayorkas fails

The honeymoon is definitely over for Speaker Mike Johnson

Defense bill deal made, hard-right House members fume

Republicans demanded border security, worked on a compromise deal with Democrats, and now want to blow the whole thing up. Biden is promising to remind Americans every day that the Republican Party is at fault for the lack of solutions to the problems they claim are most important.

Embedded Content

Campaign Action

Fox News Politics: Losing to ‘none of these’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

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? 

- Senate tanks border deal

- McConnell scoffs at GOP critics as deal collapses

- Biden leads Trump in 2024 poll if the former president is convicted

During Nevada's unusual dual primary-caucus election, Nikki Haley was the only candidate on the GOP primary ballot. Despite that, she suffered a landslide loss against another option on the ballot as about two thirds of Republican voters selected "None of these candidates." 

Nevada's Tuesday primary had a Democratic and a Republican ballot, but the GOP isn't awarding any delegates from the election. Instead, Nevada Republicans will hold its traditional caucuses on Thursday — where Haley will not be on the ballot.

Haley's did not spend any measurable money or resources on campaigning in Nevada, but the symbolic loss was quickly used against her.

A number of Trump's supporters took to X to rub salt in Haley's wound, including former 2020 Trump campaign official Marc Lotter, who wrote: "Nikki Haley lost New Hampshire by 11% to Trump. Nikki Haley lost Nevada by 30% to LITERALLY NO ONE! Nikki Haley is losing [her] home state by 27%. How does she go on?"

FLAG ON THE PLAY: Biden dodging Super Bowl interview draws questioning about his campaign strategy …Read more

KEY WITNESS: Tony Bobulinski to testify as part of Biden impeachment inquiry …Read more

BIDEN THE BASHER: Biden's reported profanity about opponents in private cuts against civility message …Read more

'SHORT-SIGHTED': Biden admin unveils eco regulations cracking down on manufacturing, energy …Read more

DOWN IN FLAMES: Senate rejects border deal ...Read more

'THEY HAD THEIR SHOT': McConnell scoffs at GOP critics after border deal collapse …Read more

'DISCORD AND STRIFE': Sen. Paul attacks GOP leadership over bipartisan border deal: 'Current law is sufficient' …Read more

SECRET HOSPITALIZATION: House lawmakers to grill Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin …Read more

'CLEAR VIOLATION': Top House Dem faces renewed ethics complaint over wife's $1.5M stock payday …Read more

SCHUMER'S PLAN B: As Senate border deal goes down in flames, Dems prep backup plan …Read more

'DANGEROUS NEW PRECEDENT': These Republicans voted against Mayorkas impeachment …Read more

‘TYRANNICAL’: Blue state advances bill to boot Trump from ballot ...Read more

ALL TIED UP: Biden-Trump and Biden-Haley November showdowns all knotted up …Read more

POLLING WOES: Kamala Harris ratings plummet ahead of 2024 presidential election …Read more

'ESPECIALLY CONCERNING': New poll shows Democrats hitting historic lows with 2 key groups they historically rely on …Read more

'CAN'T HIDE': Haley mocks Trump in effort to entice debate with former president ahead of South Carolina primary …Read more

CHANGE COMING: Trump recommends replacement for Ronna McDaniel at RNC: Source …Read more

FLORIDA ABORTION: Florida Supreme Court will decide whether abortion amendment belongs on November ballot …Read more

'DOUBLE STANDARDS': Justice Thomas ally says media, Dems are trying to push him to recuse himself before Trump ballot arguments …Read more

'GIVE ME A BREAK': Conservatives respond after Biden says Trump is the 'only reason' the border is not secure …Read more

ASSAULT ON SCIENCE: Abortion pill study unlawfully retracted, according to authors …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.