Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, told CBS News that he was removed from his position as head of the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday due to "concerns from Mar-a-Lago," a statement that the speaker of the house denies.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., removed Turner from the House Intelligence Committee, a role that holds massive influence over law enforcement and foreign policy. Johnson pushed back against Turner's claims that the decision came directly from President-elect Donald Trump.
"This is a House decision," he said. "This is no slight whatever to our outgoing chairman." Johnson said he was "a Mike Turner fan," and "he did a great job" leading the committee that oversees the intelligence community but added that the panel "needs a fresh start."
"That's what this is about, nothing else," Johnson added.
Turner has advocated for continued U.S. support for Ukraine and pushed for a ban on TikTok, two policy positions that likely put him at odds with Trump and much of his incoming administration.
"Under my leadership, we restored the integrity of the Committee and returned its mission to its core focus of national security. The threat from our adversaries is real and requires serious deliberations," Turner said in a statement.
The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said the removal of Turner "sends a shiver down my spine," adding that Turner was an effective leader who was able to conduct independent oversight of the intelligence agencies. "His removal makes our nation less secure and is a terrible portent of what's to come," he posted on X, calling Turner's removal "a huge blow to our ability to do oversight."
Newsmax has reached out to the Trump team for comment.