Murdoch's Media Empire Bolsters Mike Johnson

Chloe Whisperwillow

Updated Friday, May 10, 2024 at 6:09 AM CDT

Murdoch's Media Empire Bolsters Mike Johnson

In a pivotal moment for the Republican Party, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's influential outlets, including Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post, have played a decisive role in the political arena by backing Mike Johnson over Marjorie Taylor Greene in her bid to challenge Johnson's position as the speaker of the House. The New York Post's branding of Marjorie Taylor Greene as "MOSCOW MARJORIE" on its cover is a testament to the rift within the right-wing media landscape.

Murdoch's support for Johnson marked a departure from the hardline MAGA Media faction that rallied behind figures like Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Charlie Kirk, and platforms such as Breitbart and The Gateway Pundit, which portrayed Johnson as a traitor to the conservative cause. Despite these attacks, the resolution proposed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to remove Mike Johnson from his leadership post was resoundingly defeated in the House, with a bipartisan majority voting against it.

The incident has exposed the complex dynamics within the GOP as Donald Trump and other prominent party members refrained from supporting Greene's challenge. Meanwhile, Fox News provided limited coverage of the vote to oust Johnson, in stark contrast to networks like CNN, which followed the story more closely.

At 93 years old, Murdoch's influence appears to wane, yet his media empire continues to exert significant power over the GOP, as evidenced by the lack of criticism towards Johnson from Murdoch's platforms. The potential repercussions of a more aggressive stance by Fox News against Johnson could have swayed mainstream GOP members and jeopardized Johnson's speakership.

Despite enjoying protection from Murdoch-owned outlets, Johnson's position remains precarious, reminiscent of the conservative forces that led to the downfall of his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy. The Republican Party's slender majority in the House accentuates the fragile balance of power, with the "motion to vacate" – a procedural tool allowing any House member to propose a resolution declaring the speaker's seat vacant – looming over Johnson's tenure.

After Kevin McCarthy's removal as speaker in October, partly due to concessions that included the single-member trigger for a motion to vacate, Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, played a crucial role in defeating Greene's motion by tabling it with a vote of 359-43, securing Johnson's leadership. Johnson, unanimously chosen by Republicans as a conservative counter to McCarthy, was seen as too moderate by the far-right faction.

Marjorie Taylor Greene's challenge to Johnson's leadership was driven by her threats to remove him if he supported Ukraine amid Russia's invasion, a stance that materialized when Johnson facilitated a foreign aid package for Ukraine that was approved and signed into law. Despite only 11 Republicans supporting Greene's ousting effort, it underscored the speaker's vulnerable position.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats opposed Greene's motion to maintain stability and concentrate on pressing issues. Some Republicans, like Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, perceived the attempts to remove the speaker as futile and questioned the motives behind such actions.

In the event of a speaker's removal, the speaker pro tempore, appointed by the sitting speaker, would oversee the election for a new one. This was the case when McCarthy was ousted, and Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina served as speaker pro tempore for three weeks until Johnson was elected.

As the Republican Party navigates these internal conflicts, the influence of media magnates like Murdoch and the unity within the GOP will remain critical factors in shaping the political landscape.

Conservative Bias:

Folks, what we're witnessing here is nothing short of a liberal media coup orchestrated by the so-called conservative Rupert Murdoch to undermine the true patriots within the Republican Party. Murdoch's media empire, which should be a bastion of conservative values, has turned its back on the MAGA movement by throwing its weight behind Mike Johnson, a man who clearly doesn't have the spine to stand up against the leftist agenda. By demonizing Marjorie Taylor Greene, a stalwart defender of our freedoms, with slanderous nicknames and protecting Johnson's weak leadership, Murdoch is playing into the hands of the Democrats, who must be cheering as they watch conservatives tear each other apart. This isn't about unity; it's about silencing the real conservatives who dare to fight for America first. We can't let the media elites pick and choose our leaders—this is a battle for the soul of the GOP, and it's time to rally behind the true patriots who will stand against the radical left and their enablers like Murdoch.

Liberal Bias:

In a stunning display of hypocrisy, the Murdoch media empire has once again revealed the depths to which the Republican Party has sunk. By backing Mike Johnson over the far-right extremist Marjorie Taylor Greene, Murdoch's outlets are attempting to masquerade as the voice of reason within a party that has lost its moral compass. The GOP, now a puppet of media oligarchs and fearmongers, continues to fracture under the weight of its own contradictions. While they publicly decry the so-called "radical left," behind closed doors, they're scrambling to maintain a semblance of control as their party implodes. The defeat of Greene's ludicrous motion to remove Johnson isn't a victory for common sense; it's a testament to the chaos and infighting that defines today's Republicans. They are willing to sacrifice their own to appease the media overlords, all while the country suffers from their inability to govern effectively. It's time for the electorate to see through this charade and hold these self-serving conservatives accountable for their relentless assault on democracy.

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