'Disgusting': GOP hardliners fume at Mike Johnson amid new signs of revolt

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) took his role after weeks of chaos following the revolt that ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the post — with Johnson, a longtime election denier and avowed Christian nationalist, being the choice of the far-right of the party. But now, according to Politico, some of those members are already growing angry.

His detractors are reporting feeling betrayed and shortchanged by the lack of much meaningful policy difference from the McCarthy days and follows a speech Johnson gave to Republicans in the Senate, assuring them that he would secure funding to avert a shutdown through the end of the fiscal year — apparently taking that off the table as a bargaining chip for right-wing policy.

He also expressed interest in passing Ukraine aid, something increasingly opposed by some elements of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, although he added that he wanted it to be tied to a border bill.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), for example, said Johnson's performance is "plummeting," while Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), said his leadership is "unsatisfactory" and "needing improvement."

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These sentiments are not completely widespread throughout the right flank of the GOP caucus, and some believe that any murmured threats to depose Johnson the way McCarthy was ousted are just talk — but talk that is growing louder — and isn't coming just from members of the Freedom Caucus.

“He continues to play games,” said Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), who was a close ally of McCarthy, in an interview.

“We are talking about a man [who] 30 days ago said that he was an anti-(continuing resolution) guy. We are talking about a man 30 days ago that was anti-Ukraine funding. ... It shows me he was never really morally convicted in his positions to begin with.

"He just did a 180 on everything he believed in, and that to me is disgusting.”

He added that Johnson's controversial move to pair Israel aid with defunding IRS enforcement against wealthy tax cheats is a "slap in the face to every Jew."

All of this comes amid other controversies for Johnson, including an allegation in the new tell-all by former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) that Johnson lied to his fellow Republicans about his role in an ill-fated Texas lawsuit that tried to overturn the 2020 election results.