La., has informed Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, he will no longer be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, according to a GOP leadership source and a Republican lawmaker familiar with the matter.
Out went Turner (R-Ohio), a brash, prickly defense hawk who had been elevated by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and had become an internal headache for Johnson due to what many saw as his hamfisted handling of a divisive intraparty debate over surveillance powers.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is staring down surprise and frustration from lawmakers in both parties for removing Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) as chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Why it matters: The ouster of Turner,
Johnson sent shockwaves around Capitol Hill when he decided to oust Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio — a staunch NATO supporter who has aggressively pushed for U.S. aid to Ukraine — as chair of the House Intelligence Committee and replace him with Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., a conservative who voted against the most recent Ukraine aid package.
As Intelligence Committee chair, Turner vocally supported helping Ukraine in its fight against Russia, repeatedly urging the Biden administration to hasten aid. His position was at odds with others in the Trump wing of the party, such as Vice President-elect JD Vance, who tried to block aid and argued the war was unwinnable.
Speaker Mike Johnson tapped CIA Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford as the new head of the House Intelligence Committee after a dramatic shakeup saw the ouster of Mike Turner.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday selected Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) to chair the House Intelligence Committee, elevating the veteran panel member to the role after he removed Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) from the top job.
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) was seen as next in line to take over the chairmanship from Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH).
President-elect Donald Trump’s influence has been apparent over the past week as the Republican Party, corporate America, and much of the international order have fallen into line behind him.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, made the appointment late Thursday, and Tenney said she was proud to be joining the panel.
When it was announced several days ago that Speaker Mike Johnson would be removing House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turn