Johnson warned against making 'side deals' with GOP rebels: Don't 'grease a squeaky wheel'

House Republicans are informing Speaker Johnson, R-La., against making immoderate imaginable "side deals" with the GOP rebels threatening to oust him.

Johnson is holding his 2nd gathering in arsenic galore days connected Tuesday day with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. They made respective demands of Johnson connected overseas assistance and authorities backing successful a two-hour closed-door gathering connected Monday. 

It's not instantly wide if they volition backmost disconnected their threats if their requests are fulfilled, but respective House Republicans told Fox News Digital they anticipation Johnson stands steadfast against their demands unless helium decides thing is successful the champion involvement of his conference.

"I deliberation his occupation arsenic talker is to perceive a lot, and past helium has to yet marque a decision, truthful I don't person a occupation with him listening," Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said connected Tuesday morning. "What I would person a occupation with – and we had this occupation with Speaker McCarthy – is erstwhile you commencement making peculiar deals, broadside deals and hidden deals…And past radical [say]…'What astir my deal?'"

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House Speaker Mike Johnson is successful discussions with GOP rebels threatening his ouster. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Hern was referring to the closed-door conversations ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., held with members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and their allies, astatine times shifting House GOP argumentation aft hours down closed-doors with those members. That includes broadside deals helium made successful January 2023 to triumph the speaker's gavel aft a grounds 15 rounds of voting.

"It's hard to equate him and Speaker McCarthy, they're conscionable wholly antithetic and they had a antithetic attack to astir of everything," 1 GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to talk freely told Fox News Digital.

The GOP lawmaker argued that the concessions being asked of Johnson were mostly non-controversial, but added, "I conscionable consciousness similar it's not bully signifier to found abstracted arrangements with abstracted members."

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"My absorption benignant has ever been – you never, ever, ever grease a squeaky wheel," Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said erstwhile asked astir imaginable broadside deals. "Because if you do, you’re going to extremity up with much squeaky wheels."

Fox News Digital reported aboriginal connected Tuesday that among the requests Greene and Massie made to Johnson were assurances that the House would not ballot connected immoderate much Ukraine assistance and a pledge to defund Special Counsel Jack Smith's probe of erstwhile President Trump.

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie are starring the propulsion against Johnson. (Getty Images)

They are besides demanding that Johnson vow to artifact immoderate authorities from getting a House-wide vote unless it has the enactment of a bulk of the House GOP – a longstanding informal proviso called the Hastert rule, named aft a erstwhile Republican speaker.

Greene confirmed those requests erstwhile she arrived astatine Johnson's bureau connected Tuesday day for their 2nd meeting.

"These are not unreasonable requests. These are the close things to do. These are the close things to bash for our conference," Greene told reporters.

Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital helium did not judge Johnson would hold to their requests, but called them "nonsense."

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"Look, they get to measurement in, they get a vote. That’s what they get. They don’t get to signifier our full policy," Meuser said.

A 2nd GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to talk freely acknowledged determination would ever beryllium "concerns" astir imaginable broadside deals with House Republicans' razor-thin majority.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez told Fox News Digital that his proposal to Johnson was to not ‘grease a squeaky wheel.’ (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

"I deliberation there's ever concerns astir that, that there's circumstantial members that are getting much attraction than others from the talker himself," the 2nd GOP lawmaker said. "But, you know, overall, I deliberation it's benignant of like, we're conscionable trying to fig retired however to determination guardant connected immoderate of this stuff. Everybody realizes the bulk is truthful thin, that, you know, anybody could locomotion into the speaker's bureau and marque demands."

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Johnson was asked astir immoderate GOP lawmakers' concerns astir his negotiating with Greene and Massie during his play property league connected Tuesday.

"It's not a negotiation, OK? This is however I person operated arsenic speaker…Everybody knows I person lengthy discussions, elaborate discussions connected a regular ground with members crossed the conference. There are 217 of us. It takes a batch of time," Johnson said. "So I instrumentality Marjorie's ideas and Thomas' and everybody else's equally, and we measure them connected their ain worth and wherever we tin marque improvements and changes and each of that. And that's what this is."