01/16/2025 --axios
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, a staunch foreign policy hawk and defender of the intelligence community, was a blow to the large bipartisan bloc of national security-minded lawmakers in Congress.Turner's replacement is Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), who is closer to MAGA world on issues like Ukraine, Axios' Hans Nichols reported.Driving the news: Johnson confirmed Wednesday that Turner, who was appointed to his role by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in 2022, would not be reappointed to lead the Intelligence panel."This is not a President Trump decision. This is a House decision, and this is no slight whatsoever to our outgoing chairman. He did a great job," Johnson told reporters."It's a new Congress. We just need fresh horses in some of these places, but I'm a Mike Turner fan. He's done a great job. He performed valiantly in a difficult time under difficult circumstances," he added.Turner was seen by some House Republicans as too close to the intel community, and he angered GOP colleagues with an alarming statement last year warning of a "serious national security threat."What they're saying: Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), a hawkish Intelligence Committee member, told reporters "we all have questions and concerns" and that Turner's removal "kind of came out of nowhere.""McCarthy spent a lot of political capital right-sizing and fixing that committee so that it would be what it needed to be. And Johnson, it's not really clear what his plan is," Crenshaw added.Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), another hawk, told Axios "it divides the conference, and I don't think that's good," adding that "most of us agree" with Turner on issues like Ukraine and intelligence collection."I'm not happy with the decision. I think the vast majority of us are not happy with the decision," said another House Republican who spoke on the condition of anonymity.Zoom in: Despite Johnson's denials, several House Republicans pushed the theory that the right-wing House Freedom Caucus pressed President-elect Trump's team to demand Turner's ouster. The House Republican who spoke anonymously said the right-wing group, still smarting over a successful Turner-led push to reauthorize the federal government's spying capabilities, engineered the move."The House Freedom Caucus remembered that, went down to Mar-a-Lago, extracted a pound of flesh from somebody they didn't like," they said. The right-wing group met with Trump at his Florida resort last weekend.Crenshaw called it a "very believable theory.""Rumors are HFC demanded it," offered Bacon, adding that "if the rumors are true, it's offensive."The other side: Freedom Caucus members pleaded ignorance."He and I had our disagreements. I was surprised ... I was totally taken aback," said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), a leading opponent of federal government surveillance.Freedom Caucus chair Andy Harris (R-Md), asked if any of his members pushed for Turner's removal, told Axios: "I don't think so. You'd have to ask them. It's not an issue we bring up."Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), a former Freedom Caucus member, told Axios, "I support the speaker's decision as it is his decision to make."Democrats, meanwhile, are very public about their outrage towards Johnson's move.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called Turner's removal "unjustified" and said it is "likely being applauded by our adversaries in Russia and China. Shameful." "It's very troubling, to put it mildly ... and it's foreboding that they are removing somebody as strong as that for apparently political reasons," said Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), an Intelligence Committee member.What's next: Crenshaw told reporters that Republicans on the panel plan to meet with Johnson to try to get his explanation for the decision.Still, Crenshaw said of Crawford: "I like Rick. He's already CIA subcommittee chair."The bottom line: "Any time the speaker makes appointments of course you're going to have people who are upset," a senior House Republican told Axios."Mike Turner's well respected among a good cross-section of the conference."