JOHNSON SPEAKS — Facing the distinct possibility he might not even hold the gavel as long as KEVIN McCARTHY did, an embattled MIKE JOHNSON went on offense to save his speakership last night. In a rather newsy Fox News interview, Johnson (1) defended his leadership decisions, (2) gently chided his MAGA-aligned critics and (3) offered a new vision for delivering aid to Ukraine aimed at quelling his critics on the right and protecting him from a mutiny. Watch the clip ON THE MTG MTV: For starters, Johnson called Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE’s threat to oust him via motion to vacate “a distraction from our mission.” The ensuing chaos, he said, would hinder the GOP from defending the House and flipping the Senate and White House this fall. “We don't need any dissension right now,” he told member-turned-host TREY GOWDY, nonetheless calling Greene (R-Ga.) a “friend” and noting that he’s been texting with her and intends to meet with her next week. Johnson seemed to be trying to impart a dose of reality to GOP viewers. He noted multiple times he’s overseeing “the smallest margin in history,” where “I can only lose one” vote. “This is not an easy job right now,” he said, adding that he — like Greene and other hard-liners — wasn’t happy with the spending deal he just struck with Democrats. But Republicans are “not going to get the legislation that we all desire and prefer” with Democrats in control of the Senate and White House. Then, in the middle of March Madness, Johnson reached for some gridiron metaphors: “We have to realize I can’t throw a Hail Mary pass on every single play,” he said, while noting that “incremental wins” are possible. “We’ve got three yards and a cloud of dust, right? We’ve got to get the next first down — keep moving.” ON SOME “IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS”: Speaking of “incremental wins,” Johnson for the first time publicly articulated three components he is considering making part of any House foreign aid package — what he called “important innovations.” 1. That loan idea … Johnson acknowledged what we reported a couple of weeks ago: That Republicans are considering turning some of the Ukraine assistance into a “loan.” “Even President Trump has talked about the loan concept where we’re … not just giving foreign aid, we’re setting up in a relationship where they can provide it back to us when the time is right,” Johnson said. As we’ve written before, Democrats haven’t said no to this officially, so watch this space carefully. 2. Seizing Russian assets … Johnson also mentioned tacking on what’s known as the REPO Act, a bipartisan bill with 80 co-sponsors aimed at seizing frozen Russian assets and handing them to Ukraine. About $300 billion has been frozen in Western banks since VLADIMIR PUTIN ordered his troops to invade in 2022. “If we can use the seized assets of Russian oligarchs to allow the Ukrainians to fight them, that’s just pure poetry,” Johnson said. One problem: Only a couple of billion dollars currently resides in the U.S. Most of the cash is in Europe, where some of our allies have been slow to join the push to use the money to help Kiev. (They are, however, starting to come around.) 3. Expanding natural gas exports … This one takes a page out of the NANCY PELOSI songbook: Just a few months into her speakership, in 2007, Pelosi and her fellow Democrats were faced with the politically unpleasant task of approving Iraq War funding. To get the votes, she struck a deal with President GEORGE W. BUSH, linking it with a long-sought minimum wage increase. That kind of old-fashioned legislative logrolling seems to be what Johnson is eyeing when he talked Sunday about wanting to “unleash American energy, have national gas exports that will un-fund Vladimir Putin's war effort.” It’s a not-so-veiled reference to President JOE BIDEN’s recent executive order pausing approvals of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits to examine climate impacts. Activists cheered the freeze when it was announced in late January; Republicans (and some Democrats) scowled, and within weeks, the House had passed a bill to roll the decision back. In other words: Johnson is signaling that a LNG U-turn is table stakes for any Ukraine vote. WHAT’S NEXT: Rest assured that everyone in politics — from the White House to the leadership suites to MTG herself — is going to be dissecting these new ideas today. The clock is ticking: Congress has another week of recess, yes, but Johnson signaled in the interview that the House will address this matter “right away” when lawmakers return. We’re told from a senior GOP leadership aide that while the exact proposals Johnson floated are not yet set in stone, an outline of the bill could emerge this week. Two big questions remain: Will Democrats swallow these demands? And will these “incremental wins” save Johnson from a reckoning on the right? There’s some new evidence Johnson is paying close attention to that second question. CNN’s Melanie Zanona, Annie Grayer and Manu Raju report that he’s been in touch with potential foes, including Rep. MATT GAETZ (R-Fla.), who instigated the McCarthy ouster but has kept his powder dry on Johnson. On Ukraine, Gaetz said, “I think that he’s forging a better path on that issue as we speak.” Will what he’s floating be enough? We’ll make some calls and report back soon. Good Monday morning and Happy April Fools Day. Thanks for reading Playbook, and trust nothing else you read today. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
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