WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has informed Congressman Mike Turner that he will no longer serve as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, according to media reports.
“We just need fresh horses in some of these places … this is not a President Trump decision,” Johnson said on Wednesday, according to a CNN reporter.
“This is a House decision, and this is no slight whatsoever to our outgoing chairman. He did a great job.”
Johnson said Turner’s successor will be announced on Thursday, according to CNN.Turner told CBS that Johnson cited “concerns from Mar-a-Lago,” referring to the President-elect Donald Trump’s Florida estate, as a reason for his removal.
Representatives for Johnson and Turner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Turner has served as chairman of the intelligence panel since 2023.
The chairman of the panel is among eight congressional leaders known as the Gang of Eight who are briefed on classified intelligence matters.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Michael Perry)
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