CAPITOL IN TURMOIL: House Republicans Trigger Privileged Resolution to Vacate the Chair – Impeachment-Level Move Against Speaker Mike Johnson Explodes into Open Warfare

By James R. Callahan, Washington Bureau Chief Washington, D.C. – November 18, 2025

The United States Capitol descended into pandemonium Tuesday afternoon when Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), flanked by twenty-three hardline members of the House Freedom Caucus, marched to the House floor and introduced a privileged resolution to vacate the speakership—effectively an impeachment motion against Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). The move, which forces a vote within two legislative days, blindsided GOP leadership and instantly transformed the simmering Epstein-files revolt into a full-blown leadership purge.

Luna’s resolution, read aloud at 2:17 p.m. by the clerk, accused Johnson of “gross dereliction of duty and deliberate obstruction of congressional oversight” in his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein document release. The most incendiary charge: that Johnson “intentionally violated his constitutional oath by refusing to seat duly elected members and by colluding with the Executive Branch to suppress evidence of potential criminal conduct by the President of the United States.”

Within minutes, #VacateJohnson was the top global trend on X, TikTok, and Reddit. Live feeds from the House gallery showed lawmakers screaming across the aisle, pages sprinting with notes, and C-SPAN’s phone lines crashing under volume.

The breaking point came at dawn Tuesday when Johnson, facing an unstoppable discharge petition with 218 signatures—forty-two Republicans in open revolt—abruptly reversed course and announced the House would vote on full Epstein file release Wednesday. Insiders say that decision was not his own. A 3:12 a.m. call between Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles ended with an ultimatum: flip now, or the Senate kills the bill quietly and Johnson takes the fall alone.

Freedom Caucus members viewed the reversal as proof of weakness—and betrayal.

“He spent weeks whipping votes to bury these files for Trump,” one Luna ally told reporters outside the Longworth cloakroom. “Then the second the dam broke, he tried to run out in front of the parade and pretend he was leading it. We’re done being human shields.”

By 4:00 p.m., the whip count on the privileged resolution was staggering: at least 38 Republicans confirmed yes, with another dozen “leaning.” If just eight more defect, Johnson is gone—making him the shortest-serving Speaker in modern history and the first ever removed mid-term by his own party.

Johnson appeared visibly shaken on the rostrum, gavelling repeatedly for order as members shouted “Traitor!” and “Release the files!” from both sides. At one point, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) could be heard on hot mics yelling, “You lied to us, Mike! You lied to the victims!” before security escorted her from the chamber.

Democratic leadership, sensing blood in the water, remained officially neutral while privately celebrating. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a cryptic statement: “The House will handle its own affairs. We stand ready to work with whichever Speaker emerges who believes in the Constitution over conspiracy.”

Behind closed doors, the chaos is even uglier. Leaked text chains obtained by The Capitol Chronicle show Johnson pleading with Trump at 5:47 a.m.: “Mr. President, if we vote tomorrow the files come out. We can still stop this.” Trump’s reply, according to three sources: “You created this mess, Mike. Clean it up or you’re fired.”

White House aides are now openly gaming out scenarios: If Johnson falls, who replaces him? Names circulating include Tom Emmer (establishment choice), Jim Jordan (MAGA favorite), and—impossibly—Steve Scalise, still recovering from health issues. None have the votes locked.

The Epstein connection is the match that lit the fuse. Tuesday’s partial document release included a 2002 Epstein attorney memo explicitly referencing “DJT” requesting “maximum discretion” on Mar-a-Lago guest overlaps and a 2019 note from then-Florida AG Pam Bondi flagging “potential donor conflicts” in shelving deeper probes. With more scheduled for Wednesday, Republicans fear a drip-drip that could tank the party in 2026.

As of 8:00 p.m., the House floor remains gaveled into a rare evening session. Members are barred from leaving until the privileged resolution is tabled or voted. Cots are being rolled into committee rooms. Pizza delivery drivers are making record tips.

One veteran GOP staffer, watching the bedlam from the gallery, summed it up:

“This isn’t about policy anymore. It’s the French Revolution with better Wi-Fi.”

Whether Johnson survives the night or becomes the first Speaker in history removed over a dead pedophile’s blackmail files, one thing is certain: the MAGA civil war is no longer simmering.

It is fully ablaze.

And Washington has never seen anything like it.