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Canada issues US travel advisory warning LGBTQ+ community about laws that may affect them

FILE - The Canadian and U.S. flags are displayed on lamp posts in the downtown area, March 22, 2023, near Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. On Tuesday, Aug. 29, Canada updated its travel advisory to the U.S., warning members of the LGBTQ+ community that some American states have enacted laws that may affect them. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

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TORONTO (AP) — Canada this week updated its travel advisory to the U.S., warning members of the LGBTQ+ community that some American states have enacted laws that may affect them.

The country’s Global Affairs department did not specify which states, but is advising travelers to check the local laws for their destination before traveling.

“Since the beginning of 2023, certain states in the U.S. have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender-affirming care and from participation in sporting events,” Global Affairs spokesman Jérémie Bérubé said Thursday in an emailed statement.

“Outside Canada, laws and customs related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics can be very different from those in Canada,” the statement added. “As a result, Canadians could face certain barriers and risks when they travel outside Canada.”

Bérubé said no Canadians in the U.S. have complained to Global Affairs of how they were treated or kept from expressing their opinions about LGBTQ+ issues.

The Human Rights Campaign — the largest U.S.-based organization devoted to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans — in June declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S .

The NAACP in May issued a travel advisory for Florida warning potential tourists about recent laws and policies championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis , including bills that ban gender-affirming care for minors, target drag shows, restrict discussion of personal pronouns in schools and force people to use certain bathrooms.

In Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders this year signed a law prohibiting transgender people at public schools from using the restroom that matches their gender identity. Similar laws have been enacted in states such as Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Asked about the travel advisory change this week, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said travel advisories issued by Global Affairs Canada are based on advice from professionals in the department whose job it is to monitor for particular dangers.

“Every Canadian government needs to put at the center of everything we do the interests — and the safety — of every single Canadian and every single group of Canadians,” Freeland said.

She did not say whether her government had discussed the matter with its U.S. counterpart.

“It sounds like virtue-signaling by Global Affairs,” said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.

“In no U.S. state, to my knowledge, has any government charged or discriminated against an LGBTQ+ traveler because of their sexual identity or orientation. This all strains the credibility of the department,” he added.

David Mulroney, Canada’s former ambassador to China, also criticized the advisory.

“Travel advisories are meant to highlight things that threaten the safety of Canadian travelers, not things the govt and its supporters disagree with. It’s about danger signaling, not virtue signaling,” Mulroney tweeted.

Helen Kennedy, the executive director of Egale Canada, an LGBTQ+ rights group in Toronto, commended the Canadian government for putting out the advisory.

“There are 500 anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation making their way through various state legislatures at the moment,” Kennedy said. “It’s not a good image on the U.S.”

Kennedy also said Canada needs to take a serious look at how safe LGBTQ+ communities are in Canada as similar policies have been recently enacted in the provinces of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, which now require parental consent when children under 16 years old want to use different names or pronouns at school.

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Canada issues travel advisory warning over U.S. states' LGBTQ+ laws

The Associated Press

The Canadian and U.S. flags are displayed on lamp posts in the downtown area, March 22, 2023, near Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. Adrian Wyld/AP hide caption

The Canadian and U.S. flags are displayed on lamp posts in the downtown area, March 22, 2023, near Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario.

TORONTO — Canada this week updated its travel advisory to the U.S., warning members of the LGBTQ+ community that some American states have enacted laws that may affect them.

The country's Global Affairs department did not specify which states, but is advising travelers to check the local laws for their destination before traveling.

"Since the beginning of 2023, certain states in the U.S. have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender-affirming care and from participation in sporting events," Global Affairs spokesman Jérémie Bérubé said Thursday in an emailed statement.

Not just Florida. More than a dozen states propose so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bills

"Outside Canada, laws and customs related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics can be very different from those in Canada," the statement added. "As a result, Canadians could face certain barriers and risks when they travel outside Canada."

Bérubé said no Canadians in the U.S. have complained to Global Affairs of how they were treated or kept from expressing their opinions about LGBTQ+ issues.

The Human Rights Campaign — the largest U.S.-based organization devoted to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans — in June declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S.

The NAACP in May issued a travel advisory for Florida warning potential tourists about recent laws and policies championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, including bills that ban gender-affirming care for minors, target drag shows, restrict discussion of personal pronouns in schools and force people to use certain bathrooms.

In Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders this year signed a law prohibiting transgender people at public schools from using the restroom that matches their gender identity. Similar laws have been enacted in states such as Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Asked about the travel advisory change this week, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said travel advisories issued by Global Affairs Canada are based on advice from professionals in the department whose job it is to monitor for particular dangers.

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"Every Canadian government needs to put at the center of everything we do the interests — and the safety — of every single Canadian and every single group of Canadians," Freeland said.

She did not say whether her government had discussed the matter with its U.S. counterpart.

"It sounds like virtue-signaling by Global Affairs," said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.

"In no U.S. state, to my knowledge, has any government charged or discriminated against an LGBTQ+ traveler because of their sexual identity or orientation. This all strains the credibility of the department," he added.

David Mulroney, Canada's former ambassador to China, also criticized the advisory.

"Travel advisories are meant to highlight things that threaten the safety of Canadian travelers, not things the govt and its supporters disagree with. It's about danger signaling, not virtue signaling," Mulroney tweeted.

Helen Kennedy, the executive director of Egale Canada, an LGBTQ+ rights group in Toronto, commended the Canadian government for putting out the advisory.

"There are 500 anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation making their way through various state legislatures at the moment," Kennedy said. "It's not a good image on the U.S."

Kennedy also said Canada needs to take a serious look at how safe LGBTQ+ communities are in Canada as similar policies have been recently enacted in the provinces of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, which now require parental consent when children under 16 years old want to use different names or pronouns at school.

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Canada warns LGBTQ people of U.S. state laws in updated travel advisory

Canada has updated its travel advisory for the United States to warn LGBTQ travelers that they are at risk of being affected by state and local laws, amid a recent surge in state-level legislation targeting the community .

“Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws,” Global Affairs Canada, a government department that oversees the country’s international relations, said in the advisory posted Tuesday. It used the abbreviation “2S” for “two-spirit,” a word used in Canada to describe a spectrum of genders among Indigenous people .

The page also links to broader advice on how LGBTQ people are subject to local laws at their travel destinations, “even if these laws infringe on your human rights.”

Although the advisory did not list any particular state laws or policies, Jérémie Bérubé, a spokesman for Global Affairs Canada, pointed to legislation passed this year in certain U.S. states “banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender affirming care and from participation in sporting events,” among other restrictions.

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, a former foreign minister, told reporters Tuesday that the travel advice was updated because Ottawa prioritizes “the interests and the safety of every single Canadian.”

“We have professionals in the government whose job is to look carefully around the world and to monitor whether there are particular dangers to particular groups of Canadians,” she said, adding that it was “the right thing to do.”

Historic surge in bills targeting transgender rights pass at record speed

In May, U.S.-based human rights groups issued a travel advisory for Florida, noting that the state had passed bills that included limiting the discussion of gender and sexual orientation in classrooms and banning transgender people from using many bathrooms and changing areas.

State legislators across the United States have introduced nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this year, according to data compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union . “While not all of these bills will become law, they all cause harm for LGBTQ people,” the ACLU said on its website.

A Washington Post analysis in April found that as of four months into this year’s state legislative sessions, more bills targeting LGBTQ rights — with an emphasis on transgender rights — had become law than at any other time in U.S. history.

Logan S. Casey, who serves as a senior researcher at the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks the legislation, said at the time that the rise in such laws was “part of a very clear and identifiable national effort in state legislatures that is and has been going on for years — and it’s really culminating this year.”

This month, North Carolina barred transgender athletes from competing on women’s or girls’ sports teams and restricted gender-affirming care for minors, while a bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youths passed into law in Louisiana.

In Texas, a law that would prevent young people from medically transitioning genders and prohibit the use of Medicaid to pay for such treatments is set to take effect this week.

In Canada, those seeking to target LGBTQ rights through legislation have had far less success. But they often employ the same language and tactics of their U.S. counterparts, advocates for the LGBTQ community say.

New Brunswick leader: Teachers can’t use student pronouns without parent okay

The province of New Brunswick has this year been roiled by changes to a policy that would bar teachers from identifying students under 16 by the pronouns and names of their choosing without the consent of their parents.

Advocates for LGBTQ students argue that the change risks outing children to parents who might not be supportive and jeopardizing their safety. Blaine Higgs, the province’s premier, has defended the changes as necessary for protecting the rights of parents.

He told the provincial legislature that gender dysphoria is becoming “popular and trendy” because there is “such acceptance that ‘Okay, this is fine,’” and he has railed against “drag story time” for young students, echoing the language of U.S. lawmakers.

New Brunswick’s child and youth advocate said in a report this month that the changes violate rights protected by Canada’s constitution. The province of Saskatchewan has introduced a similar policy.

Amanda Coletta contributed to this report.

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Canada issues travel advisory for LGBTQ+ residents visiting US

Canadian government issues warning after numerous discriminatory laws passed in Republican-controlled states

LGBTQ+ citizens are at risk when traveling to the US due to numerous discriminatory laws passed at state level, the Canadian government has warned.

“Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws,” the government’s website reads.

Although no US state or law was singled out, the news comes after a wave of discriminatory laws passed in predominantly Republican-controlled states. They include Florida’s so-called “don’t say gay” law, and bans against drag performances, gender-affirming care bans, transgender sports participation and bathroom use in states such as Kentucky, Texas, and Tennessee.

In a statement to CNN , the global affairs department of the Canadian government said: “Since the beginning of 2023, certain states in the US have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender affirming care and from participation in sporting events.”

Canada has provided specific guidelines to its LGBTQ+ citizens traveling abroad: “Watch for laws that: criminalize same-sex activities and relationships [and] criminalize people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.

“Some countries may use laws related to ‘vagrancy’, ‘public nuisance’ or ‘public morals’ to criminalize 2SLGBTQI+ people.”

Other groups have issued similar warnings. The LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Human Rights Campaign declared a national state of emergency in June – Pride month.

HRC’s website says: “We have officially declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the United States for the first time following an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses this year.”

Earlier this month, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, said the government was strategizing ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, especially in the case it moves the US closer to far-right authoritarianism, the National Post reported.

Joly said: “In general, there is our game plan, precisely to be able to manage what could be a rather difficult situation.

“I will work with my colleagues and with the mayors, the provincial premiers, with the business community, with the unions, with everyone in the country, so that we are ready regardless of the election outcome.”

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Global Affairs Canada issues LGBTQ2S+ travel advisory for United States

Canada has updated its international travel advisories to warn members of the LGBTQ+ community that they may face discrimination if they travel to some places in the United States.

The move comes after at least 18 U.S. states passed laws that limit or ban certain things relevant to the community, including gender-affirming medical care for minors and teaching about sexual orientation in schools.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also warned in May that threats of violence against the LGBTQ+ community were becoming more frequent and intense.

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Mid-morning Tuesday, Global Affairs Canada changed its U.S. travel advice to include a caveat for LGBTQ+ travellers because "some states have enacted laws and policies" that may affect them.

Unlike similar warnings for several other countries, such as Tanzania or Egypt, Canada's U.S. warning doesn't specify which states, or which of their laws or customs, are of concern. It only says travellers should check the local laws for their destination before travelling.

On a more general page about advice to international LGBTQ+ travellers, the government provides some links to resources to look up relevant laws around the world.

"Carefully consider whether you are comfortable visiting a destination where the laws and social customs affecting (LGBTQ+) people differ from those in Canada," the government warns.

In May, the NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign, a U.S.-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group, were among several civil rights groups issuing their own travel advisories specifically for Florida. That came after Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, signed into law restrictions on drag shows, the use of bathrooms and the use of preferred pronouns in schools.

Florida teachers are also now required to teach that sex is "an immutable biological trait," and that students must only use the pronoun of the sex on a person's birth certificate. They also cannot teach anything about gender identity or sexual orientation until high school, a law critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

The groups said their advice wasn't to avoid Florida at all costs. But they said if people still chose to travel there, they should use the opportunity to speak out against the laws, and if they chose not to, they should be clear about the reason why.

Canada's general page for LGBTQ+ travellers warns that if they elected to use an X on their passport where it identifies gender, they may face discrimination in some places.

When asked about the change, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday that the travel advisories issued by Global Affairs Canada are based on advice from professionals in the department whose job it is to monitor for particular dangers.

She would not say if the Liberals had discussed the matter with U.S. President Biden, but said the relationship with the U.S. is one of the most important for the government.

"We are able to manage that relationship regardless of the choice that the people of the United States make," said Freeland.

"Even as we work hard on that government-to-government relationship, every Canadian government, very much including our government, needs to put at the centre of everything we do the interests and the safety of every single Canadian and every single group of Canadians."

In a written statement, U.S. Ambassador David Cohen did not directly address the new travel warning but said his country "stands for equality and equal treatment for all."

"The United States is committed to promoting tolerance, inclusion, justice and dignity while helping to advance equality for the LGBTQI+ community," he wrote.

"We all must continue to do this work with our like-minded partners not only in the United States, not only in Canada, but throughout the world."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2023.

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Stay Connected

Ottawa warns LGBTQ travellers they could be hit by U.S. state laws

Freeland says she's concerned with 'safety of every single canadian and of every single group of canadians'.

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Global Affairs Canada has updated its travel advisory for the United States by warning LGBTQ people that some state laws may affect them on their travels.

"Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws," said the new advisory, posted Tuesday morning.

The advisory sends visitors to a government web page providing broad information on how members of the community could be targeted while travelling to foreign countries.

That advice tells travellers to beware of laws that criminalize same-sex activities and relationships, or target people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

That advice also warns travellers that laws to curb vagrancy and public nuisance incidents could also be used to target them in an effort "to criminalize 2SLGBTQI+ people."

Canada cautions LGBTQ people travelling to the U.S.

The updated advice does not mention any specific law or state policy, nor does it suggest staying away from a particular state. When asked for details, a department spokesperson pointed to laws targeting the transgender community.

"Since the beginning of 2023, certain states in the U.S. have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender affirming care and from participation in sporting events," the spokesperson said in a media statement.

"The information is provided to enable travellers to make their own informed decisions regarding destinations. Outside Canada, laws and customs related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics can be very different from those in Canada."

• It's already a record year for anti-2SLGBTQ bills in the U.S. Here are some of the rights rolling back
• Largest LGBTQ group in U.S. warns about travel to Florida
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs anti-LGBTQ laws affecting gender-affirming care, bathroom use and drag shows

Speaking in Moncton, N.B. on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said she supported the decision to update the travel advice but would not comment on whether U.S. President Joe Biden was informed before the update was made.

"Every Canadian government, very much including our government, needs to put at the centre of everything we do the interests and the safety of every single Canadian, and of every single group of Canadians," she said. "That's what we're doing now. That's what we're always going to do."

Freeland said that as a former foreign affairs minister, she's confident that travel advisories appearing on the Global Affairs Canada website are "done very professionally."

"We have professionals in the government whose job is to look carefully around the world and to monitor whether there are particular dangers to particular groups of Canadians," she said. "That's their job and it's the right thing to do."

A growing number of anti-LGBT laws

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says it is tracking 494 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. that are working their way through state legislatures.

Of those bills, the ACLU says 230 will affect schools and education policies, 130 affect the provision of health care, 40 affect civil rights — such as equal treatment under the law — and eight affect public washrooms and other shared facilities. 

Other bills at the state level being tracked by the ACLU would ban or censor drag shows, prohibit gender information from being included on government identity documents or limit access to books about LGBTQ people and issues.

The updated travel advice comes after the largest LGBT rights organization in the U.S ., the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), joined other civil rights organizations in issuing a travel advisory for Florida in May. 

• Some Conservative grassroots supporters press Poilievre to take on the gender debate
• Poilievre says schools should leave LGBTQ issues to parents

That warning said newly passed laws and policies might pose risks to minorities, immigrants and LGBTQ travellers in the state.

HRC was joined by the NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Equality Florida in issuing travel or relocation warnings for the Sunshine State, one of the most popular U.S. states for tourists.

The HRC notes that Florida's recently passed bathroom law could subject transgender people to criminal penalties for refusing to leave a bathroom when asked, if the bathroom is in a publicly owned or leased building.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Senior writer

Peter Zimonjic is a senior writer for CBC News. He has worked as a reporter and columnist in London, England, for the Daily Mail, Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph and in Canada for Sun Media and the Ottawa Citizen. He is the author of Into The Darkness: An Account of 7/7, published by Random House.

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Travel warning: The United States now advises against 'all travel' to 6 Mexican states

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The United States is warning travellers to completely avoid travel to six Mexican states due to increasing violent crime and kidnapping. 

The U.S. Department of State now advises travellers to avoid all travel to Colima state, Guerrero state, Michoacan state, Sinaloa state, Tamaulipas state , and Zacatecas.

Travellers are also advised to reconsider travel to six Mexican states and exercise increased caution in 17 others, including the Quintana Roo state that houses popular tourist destinations like Cancun and Tulum. 

The updated travel advice follows months of increasing violence across Mexico, including a violent clash  between taxi and Uber drivers and two planes that were hit with gunfire  in Sinaloa state after security forces captured Ovidio "The Mouse" Guzman -- an alleged drug trafficker and the son of former cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. 

Unlike Canada, which issues travel risk advisories for entire countries rather than individual states or regions, the U.S. issues travel risk advisories for each individual state. However, it also notes that "violent crime -- including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery -- is widespread and common" across the entire country.

Canada weighs in on the updated U.S. travel advisory for Mexico 

Canada currently warns travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico "due to high levels of criminal activity and kidnapping" but does not advise them to avoid all travel to any areas.

Travellers are instead advised to avoid "all non-essential travel" to 13 areas across the country due to violence and organized crime.

When asked why Canada hasn't followed the U.S. to upgrade its advisory to warn travellers to avoid all travel to certain areas, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada told V.I.A. in an email that "there is no strict formula to determine the level of a country or region" and that the risk level is based on an "overall assessment of the current security situation."

Notably, the United States has now advised against all travel to Sinaloa state, which includes the popular resort town of Mazatlán. Canada continues to warn travellers to avoid all non-essential travel to the state with the exception of the popular vacation destination. 

Canadians should always register trips that they take  online  with the Canadian government before they leave so that the government can contact them in an emergency.

Canadians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact Global Affairs Canada's Emergency Watch and Response Centre by calling 001-800-514-0129 (toll-free from Mexico only), +1 613 996 8885, by text message at +1 613-686-3658, via WhatsApp at +1 613-909-8881, via Telegram at Canada Emergency Abroad or by  e-mail . 

Travellers who smoke should also be aware Mexico recently introduced of a law that affects them. The Mexico smoking ban forbids smoking in any public area and the penalties for breaking the law may be more strictly enforced than in Canada. 

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Minister Blair to visit Washington, D.C. to advance Canada-U.S. defence relations and to highlight Our North, Strong and Free

From: National Defence

Media advisory

The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will travel to Washington, D.C. from May 13-14, 2024.

May 10, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will travel to Washington, D.C. from May 13-14, 2024. During his visit, Minister Blair will meet with United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to discuss Canada’s recently-released defence policy update, Our North, Strong and Free , as well as Canada’s NORAD Modernization Plan and the Canada-U.S. defence relationship.

During his time in Washington, Minister Blair will also deliver remarks to the Atlantic Council, hold a media availability, and meet with American cybersecurity and defence industry leaders.

The following events on May 13, 2024, will be open to media. All times are local.

11:00 am – Minister Blair will visit the Pentagon for a bilateral meeting with United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III.

Notes for media:

• Open coverage for the arrival ceremony and opening remarks.
• Reporters from Canadian media outlets are invited to contact the Embassy of Canada’s Media Relations Team ( [email protected] ) for assistance with registration.

2:00 pm – Minister Blair will deliver remarks on Our North, Strong and Free at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council at the Embassy of Canada to the United States in Washington, D.C. Following Minister Blair’s remarks, he will participate in a conversation moderated by Mr. Ian Brzezinski, Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.

• Open coverage.
• Media are asked to arrive no later than 1:30 pm.
• Location: Embassy of Canada to the United States, 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001, United States.
• Media interested in participating should register with the Embassy of Canada’s Media Team ( [email protected] ) to confirm their attendance.

3:30 pm – Minister Blair will hold a media availability following his speech to the Atlantic Council.

• Media interested in participating should register with the Embassy of Canada’s Media Relations Team ( [email protected] ) to confirm their attendance.

Diana Ebadi Press Secretary and Communications Advisor Office of the Minister of National Defence Email :  [email protected]

Embassy of Canada to the United States Media Relations Email: [email protected]

Media Relations Department of National Defence Phone:  613-904-3333 Email:   [email protected]

Page details

US House blocks bid to remove Speaker Mike Johnson

In rare bipartisan move, Republicans and Democrats easily defeat effort by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The United States House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly to defeat an effort by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene to remove Speaker Mike Johnson, a fellow Republican.

In an unusual move, Democrats joined Republicans in a 359-43 vote on Wednesday to keep Johnson in his leadership role and stave off further turmoil in the House.

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“I appreciate the show of confidence from my colleagues to defeat this misguided effort,” Johnson said following the vote. “Hopefully this is the end of the character assassination that has characterised the current Congress.”

Hardline Representative Greene has, for weeks, sought to get Johnson kicked out after a string of compromises he made with Democrats over a $95bn bill for security assistance to US allies Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

Greene is a leading voice of the far-right flank opposed to helping Ukraine. After the House passed the bill in April, she called Johnson a “lame duck”.

Johnson’s leadership was “pathetic, weak, and unacceptable”, Greene said on Wednesday as she triggered the “motion to vacate” measure.

The same procedure was used to remove former Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy in October, the first time in US history that the House voted to remove its leader.

Republicans have a slim 217-213 majority in the House. Most opposed the vote to remove Johnson, with only 11 in favour and 196 against.

“As I’ve said from the beginning, and I’ve made clear here every day, I intend to do my job,” Johnson said. “And I’ll let the chips fall where they may. In my view, that is leadership.”

Democrats, led by Representative Hakeem Jeffries, had promised to keep Johnson in his seat, with 163 against the motion.

“Our decision to stop Marjorie Taylor Greene from plunging the country into further chaos is rooted in our commitment to solve problems,” Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, said after the vote.

Greene’s move represented a rare Republican defiance of presumptive presidential candidate Donald Trump, who in a social media post following the House vote said it was “not the time” for Republicans to try to push out their own speaker.

“This is not an individual who knows how to lead,” Republican Marcus Molinaro said of Greene after the vote. “She’s not an individual who knows how to negotiate. And she certainly doesn’t seem to have any concern for the stability of the Congress or the people we represent.”

Some Republicans said she could face disciplinary action for attempting to sow disunity in the party.