Rep. Mike Johnson's (R-LA) decision to allow Rep. James Comer (R-KY) to proceed with an investigation of Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, knowing it will likely go nowhere is a sign that he is on thin ice as House Speaker with far-right members of his caucus who could send him packing like they did Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
In his column for MSNBC, analyst Hayes Brown claimed the former backbencher thrust into the speaker's seat due to GOP House dysfunction is going through the motions of allowing the investigation to ramp up and it is patently obvious who is calling the shots — and it's not Johnson.
Noting Johnson's recent assertion that the GOP "stands for the rule of law," Brown wrote, "Just at the surface level, Johnson’s implying that the House GOP’s response to the Trump impeachments shows its commitment to the rule of law is hilarious," before adding, "So, too, is his claim that in the GOP investigation into Biden, Republicans are simply following the facts wherever they may lead. But it’s a song and dance Johnson has to perform if he wants to remain speaker."
As he noted, Johnson earlier also didn't feel there was enough to proceed with impeachment hearings against Joe Biden but changed his tune following an attack by Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), after which he proclaimed that it now has his "full and unwavering support," despite having no chance of getting through the Senate.
"Johnson has two options at this point. He can hold the vote knowing it will fail, damaging the House’s credibility in court but keeping up appearances with the pro-impeachment wing. Or he can burn his capital with moderates worried about losing their seats to persuade them to be team players — and still face the risk of failing on the House floor," the analyst wrote. "All for an inquiry that he has admitted behind closed doors doesn’t have the evidence to actually justify impeachment. Not that he has the power to say that in public, of course."
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