How did the Epstein files vote spark an all-out revolt against Speaker Mike Johnson from the very women in his own party?

On this explosive episode of the Tara Palmeri Show, New York Times Capitol Hill correspondent Annie Karni pulls back the curtain on the growing Republican fury at Mike Johnson – from Elise Stefanik calling him a habitual liar, Nancy Mace fuming over his treatment of women, and Marjorie Taylor Greene labeling him weak, to a broader meltdown over leadership, redistricting, and Trump’s shadow presidency. The two veteran reporters dig into Johnson’s old podcast comments on “waffle vs spaghetti” brains, why GOP women feel he doesn’t listen to them, the real threat of mid-term retirements, and whether anyone (Tom Emmer?) could actually replace him before the majority vanishes.

Read Annie’s must-read piece that has all of Washington buzzing:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/us/politics/republican-women-speaker-johnson.html

Who do you think lasts longer in 2026 – Mike Johnson as Speaker or the razor-thin Republican House majority? Drop your prediction below.

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Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show.

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Inside the GOP Mutiny Over Mike Johnson and the Epstein Files

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to the Tara Palmeri Show

01:50 Annie Karni joins the Tara Palmeri Show

04:19 Republican anger erupts at Johnson on the record

06:04 Why the women are leading the revolt

08:12 Mike Johnson’s traditional views on gender roles

10:19 Waffle vs spaghetti brains and Thanksgiving dinner

11:54 Epstein vote pressure from Johnson and Trump

14:15 Trump as shadow Speaker

17:25 No loyalty owed – Johnson didn’t build the majority

21:00 Mid-term retirements and slim majority panic

24:39 How Mace, Boebert and MTG stood up to Trump

27:35 Some GOP women still defend Johnson

28:47 Thanks for watching the Tara Palmeri Show

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