Idaho's far-right Lieutenant Governor, Janice McGeachin, is once again at odds with Republican Governor Brad Little after she attempted to do his job while he was out of state.
Earlier this week, Little left for Texas to meet with some of his fellow governors—a moment McGeachin saw as a chance to seize a bit of power for herself.
While Little was gone, the Lieutenant Governor issued an executive order to block private businesses from mandating vaccines for their employees against the pandemic that's killed more than 700 thousand Americans. She also banned vaccine mandates and even weekly testing for the virus in schools and universities.
To make matters worse, McGeachin inquired to Idaho's Maj. Gen. Michael J. Garshak as to how she could activate the National Guard and deploy them to the southern border.
It wasn't long before Governor Little got wind of McGeachin's efforts and rebuked her, saying:
"I am in Texas performing my duties as the duly elected governor of Idaho, and I have not authorized the lieutenant governor to act on my behalf. I will be rescinding and reversing any actions taken by the lieutenant governor when I return." He added, "Attempting to deploy our National Guard for political grandstanding is an affront to the Idaho constitution and insults the men and women who have dedicated their life to serving our state and the country."
What's more, this isn't even McGeachin's first attempt at exploiting the governor's absence to issue her own policies. Back in May, as Little attended a Republican Governors Association conference, McGeachin issued an executive order banning mask mandates. Little quickly rescinded it upon his return.
McGeachin's actions aren't popular with social media users.
#McGeachinOverreaching should trend for this incompetence. She is actually trying to run for governor of Idaho!? Smhhttps://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1445735949715996677\u00a0\u2026— Victor Ruiz -The Voice Of Rican- (@Victor Ruiz -The Voice Of Rican-) 1633525844
Can you imagine having a \u201cright hand\u201d that did this the second your back was turned? These folks are WILDIN and I can\u2019t even. If I remember correctly she did it last spring too. Talk about toxic work environment.https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1445735949715996677\u00a0\u2026— Liz (@Liz) 1633525836
brad little: *leaves idaho for 5 minutes*\njanice mcgeachin:pic.twitter.com/gRVPHY3X7t— April \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udf3e\ud83c\udf44\ud83d\ude8c\ud83d\udc0c\ud83d\udcbe\ud83c\udf49\ud83d\udd30\ud83e\udde4 (@April \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udf3e\ud83c\udf44\ud83d\ude8c\ud83d\udc0c\ud83d\udcbe\ud83c\udf49\ud83d\udd30\ud83e\udde4) 1633509843
Right wing coup attempt fails in idahohttps://twitter.com/drericding/status/1445735949715996677\u00a0\u2026— chris whitmer (@chris whitmer) 1633525755
Well I see Idaho\u2019s made the national news again with our crazy Lt. Gov.https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1445735949715996677\u00a0\u2026— Carmen Oldenburg (@Carmen Oldenburg) 1633526643
You all right there Idaho? https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1445735949715996677\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/VsZ9U5HQT6— Dave \u26cf (@Dave \u26cf) 1633527342
Given that Little was in Texas doing a photo-op at the southern border, people weren't exactly sympathetic to him either.
No one likes it when they get out-grandstanded while on a grandstanding trip.https://twitter.com/GovernorLittle/status/1445506992014073857\u00a0\u2026— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1633499646
"I was so busy doing a xenophobia that my subordinate did a coup while I was out of state" is a bit on the nose, and yethttps://twitter.com/GovernorLittle/status/1445506992014073857\u00a0\u2026— Kelsey Deatherton (@Kelsey Deatherton) 1633492621
I\u2019m very sorry that she interrupted your political grandstanding with her political grandstanding— Brett Grieser (@Brett Grieser) 1633473816
McGeachin will primary Little in 2022.
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