Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) believes the efforts to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson ((R-LA) is the right move. In an interview this week, he voiced support for Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) move based on the argument that Republicans need “real leadership” in the House.

“I think Thomas Massie is doing the right thing, and I think that Republicans need real leadership. We need to use our power; our people are frustrated. Why don’t we use the power of the purse? Why does the debt keep getting bigger even when Republicans are in charge of the House? So, I think we need somebody that has some courage and some intestinal fortitude,” he said.

Massie responded to Paul’s comments on X, writing, “Thank you @RandPaul for…supporting our efforts to restore fiscal sanity and constitutionally limited government here in the House. Our leadership is failing us.”

Massie, on Tuesday, announced that he is cosponsoring Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) motion to vacate to remove Johnson as House speaker.

Massie told Johnson at a closed-door Republican conference meeting that he has to resign willingly or face being forced out like former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) before him. The Kentucky Congressman also threatened that Johnson will likely have less support than McCarthy did if he refuses to resign willingly and the motion to vacate is called.

He also took to X to announce his move, saying, “I just told Mike Johnson in conference that I’m cosponsoring the Motion to Vacate that was introduced by
@RepMTG. He should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker.”

Speaking to Breitbart News about his stance, Massie stated, “Every negotiation he’s [Johnson] gone into with Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden, he’s received nothing in exchange. He’s either not good at negotiating, or he’s negotiating for their side.”

“He’s done an omnibus that broke Nancy Pelosi’s spending records. He reauthorized FISA without warrants. Now he’s going for the trifecta to pass the Ukraine spending without doing anything to enforce our border. That will be three strikes in addition to just the poor management of the House,” he added.

Johnson has, however, indicated that he does not have plans to resign. “It is not helpful to the cause, it is not helpful to the country. It does not help the House Republicans advance our agenda which is in the best interest of the American people here,” he said.