‘KNOCK IT OFF’

Mike Johnson’s Attempt to Play Peacemaker at GOP Retreat Falls Flat: Report

Johnson told CNN of the inter-party conflicts currently roiling the House of Representatives: “I’ve asked them all to cool it.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson spent his time at the House GOP retreat in West Virginia last week playing peacemaker between rival groups of his divided caucus—and one issue seemed to stand out as a priority for the rookie Republican leader: stopping House members from targeting their colleagues in contentious primary races, according to CNN. There are at least four races in which representatives are actively campaigning against other members of the chamber, including in Texas, South Carolina, Illinois, and Virginia. In an interview with the network released Sunday, Johnson said of the inter-party conflicts: “I’ve asked them all to cool it.” He added, “I’m telling everyone who’s doing that to knock it off. And both sides, they’ll say, ‘Well, we didn’t start it, they started it.’” Despite Johnson’s best efforts, however, members seemed to confirm that the trend is only going to worsen in the coming months as the 2024 election looms. “I would love nothing more than to just go after Democrats,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told CNN following last week’s retreat. “But if Republicans are going to dress up like Democrats in drag, I’m going to go after them too. Because at the end of the day, we’re not judged by how many Republicans we have in Congress. We’re judged on whether or not we save the country.”