Being known for her remarks on conspiracy theories and reactionary rhetoric, Marjorie Taylor Greene asserts that she will do her best to oust Mike Johnson if he moves forward with a package of aid to Ukraine.
Since the Republican majority in the House of Representatives is narrow, and a single representative can call a vote to oust him, Mike Johnson appears to be between the hammer and the anvil. Marjorie Greene has an intention to block an assistance package for Ukraine, the measure, which may become a huge blow to commitments of NATO and the US to the international order formed after the Second World War.
Greene has recently said the following, “This isn’t a Republican speaker we have right now; this is a Democrat speaker”. This comment was highly misleading, taking into consideration the fact that Johnson is one of the most conservative speakers the US has seen in modern times.
It demonstrates how the Republican Party has transformed since the era of Ronald Reagan. The party, which once called on Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”, is turning into an America First party, telling Vladimir Putin, “Do whatever you want, just leave us alone.” When Ronald Reagan was the US President, a new generation in the Grand Old Party began gaining strength. These representatives of the party did not want the US to isolate itself from the world but they criticized such alliances as NATO and such institutions as the United Nations.
This skepticism became more visible when George W.Bush became president. He withdrew the US from the Kyoto Protocol in 2001 and launched a war against Iraq two years later. Donald Trump chose this line of attack by using a failed war in Iraq as evidence the US should exit the most powerful international alliances, which had influenced the US policies since the Second World War. Moreover, Trump added a mantra associated with reactionary domestic politics, xenophobia, and isolationism to the aforementioned narrative, pushing the House Caucus toward new extremes.
One of the most notable details is that Mitt Romney blasted Barack Obama for being feeble on Russia in 2012. However, Trump transformed the foreign policy stance of the party after the election loss of Romney. Furthermore, Trump defended Putin at the Helsinki summit in 2018 and questioned the activity of US intelligence agencies.
The revolution of the Republican Party is almost complete, and it is obvious that Trump has impacted the party significantly, and the MAGA generation is becoming more and more influential. The America first crowd is gaining popularity, and the repercussions will be serious.
This is a political battle, which may lead to the fast destruction of international alliances the Western world has depended on for many decades for the purpose of pushing back against sanguinary foreign leaders, willing to strengthen their inhumane regimes. Thus, if Marjorie Greene and her colleagues win now, the world will be entering an uncertain, more tumultuous, and dangerous era.
