GOP hardliners pressure Johnson on vote that would seal 'their allegiance to' Trump: report

04 June 2024

Five days after a Manhattan jury convicted former President Donald Trump on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents, House Republicans are determined to defend their 2024 GOP nominee.

CNN reported Tuesday that during a private meeting with House Republican members, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told his colleagues that he'll "do everything he can to go after the Department of Justice," adding that "the verdict has ignited support for the former president," according to two sources close to the matter.

Now, according to a new Axios report, GOP hardliners "are pressuring" the speaker "for a vote on legislation aimed at showing their allegiance to" the former president.

Per Axios, the right-wing lawmakers "want a floor vote on a bill that would allow current or former presidents to move any state case brought against them — such as the one in New York that resulted in Trump's conviction — to federal court, according to multiple House Republican sources."

However, one GOPer told the news outlet that the legislation is "unlikely" for now, considering the fact that "a floor vote on the measure could put moderate Republicans in a jam," the report notes.

Republicans would have to determine whether they want to defy Trumpworld or make a decision that could hinder their success in their respective districts.

Axios also notes that, additionally, some GOP senators "signed onto a pledge to seek to block floor action in response to the conviction."

The news outlet reports: "Theoretically, if the bill House conservatives are pushing were signed into law, Trump would be allowed to move the Georgia case from state to federal court. If he was convicted and got elected president again, he could try to pardon himself. Presidents can't pardon state convictions."

Axios' full report is available here.

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