Speaker Johnson Removes Rep. Mike Turner as House Intelligence Chair
Speaker Mike Johnson has removed Rep. Mike Turner as chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, according to three people familiar with the decision.
Conservative hard-liners in the House and other Republicans loyal to President-elect Donald Trump have been pressing Johnson for months to remove the Ohio Republican.
Turner’s Controversial Leadership
First named to lead committee Republicans in 2022 by then-Leader Kevin McCarthy, Turner has made many enemies over his handling of key intelligence matters, including a major internal battle over renewing certain surveillance authorities last year.
He has also been an outspoken advocate for Ukraine funding and other hawkish national security stances.
Surprising Ouster
Still, the decision blindsided many members who remain loyal to Turner, including some current Intelligence panel members. Unlike most House panels, the selection of the Intel chairman is solely at the speaker’s discretion.
Johnson cited Trump as a reason for the ouster when the speaker met with Turner Wednesday night, according to a person familiar with the conversation who was granted anonymity to describe it.
Trump allies have raised concerns about Turner’s support for Ukraine aide and his role in the spy-powers chaos. Turner later told CBS News that Johnson pointed to “concerns from Mar-a-Lago” as the reason for the decision.
Controversy Over Surveillance Bill
Turner’s handling of the surveillance bill — renewing so-called Section 702 powers — sparked unrest among ultraconservatives who argued he tried to strong-arm them into backing the legislation by raising generic warnings of national security concerns.
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the Intelligence panel, spoke to reporters shortly after the news broke. He had maintained a cordial relationship with Turner, who had pledged to undertake a bipartisan reset on the panel when ascending to the top Republican spot in 2022. His predecessor, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), was a fierce Trump loyalist who had continually clashed with then-Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
“I have ice in my spine right now, because that’ll totally change the dynamic of oversight,” Himes said of Turner’s removal. He added, “I’m sure that Mike lost some friends” over his role in preserving U.S. surveillance powers last year.
