In a surprising development, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona announced on Friday that he has signed on to the effort to remove Speaker Mike Johnson from his position. This makes Gosar the third member to join the campaign, after GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie. The trio huddled on the House floor earlier in the day to discuss their motion to vacate the speakership.

However, it is important to note that they have not yet taken steps to force a floor vote on the resolution. With the House adjourning for the rest of the day on Friday, the earliest Greene could move to oust Johnson would be Saturday. If she does proceed with the motion, the House will have to consider it within two legislative days. It remains to be seen if leadership will handle it immediately on the floor or wait until after the weeklong recess.

A majority vote would be required to successfully remove Johnson from his position. Conservative lawmakers who are dissatisfied with the speaker's approach to foreign aid bills and other priorities have criticized him for relying on Democrats to advance these bills. Rep. Chip Roy, a key hardliner on the House Rules Committee, accused Johnson of undermining Republicans' leverage on border security.

While Roy did not explicitly state if he would support ousting the speaker, he expressed concerns about the House GOP's lack of leadership on border security issues. Other GOP hardliners, like Rep. Eli Crane, voiced frustration with Johnson's current performance, acknowledging that it is difficult to defend him at this point.

Gosar, who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year, did not rule out supporting efforts to remove Johnson. He emphasized his openness to the idea and expressed his frustration, stating that this issue extends beyond personal motivations. Crane echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need to prioritize saving the country over party politics.

Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Bishop directed his criticism towards the House GOP Conference's leadership as a whole, describing their actions as "pathetic." He highlighted the lack of prioritization of center-right Americans' concerns and stated that he does not currently see any advantage in moving against the speaker at this time.

This move by Gosar comes at a time when Johnson's speakership has faced increased threats due to his handling of legislation pertaining to foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. A pivotal moment occurred on Thursday when Johnson was reportedly being lobbied by fellow members to raise the threshold required to trigger the procedure for removing the speaker. This move would potentially enable Johnson to pass foreign aid bills without relying on Democratic support.

A heated discussion took place on the House floor as far-right lawmakers surrounded Johnson seeking assurances that he would not raise the threshold on the motion to vacate. However, the speaker did not commit to their demands, leaving many lawmakers frustrated and intensifying the possibility of the motion to oust him gaining momentum.

Later in the day, Johnson responded to the pressure by confirming that he will not alter the procedure for removing him from the speakership. This decision has further fueled the push for his removal by those who believe it is a red line issue.

As tensions continue to simmer within the Republican Conference regarding Speaker Mike Johnson's leadership, the possibility of the motion to vacate gaining traction remains uncertain.