Washington DC - Speaker of the House Mike Johnson recently had Representative Mike Turner removed from his position as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, but he swears president-elect Donald Trump had nothing to do with it.

Johnson announced the move during a press conference on Wednesday, but denied claims that Trump made the call.

"This is not a President Trump decision. This is a House decision, and this is no slight whatsoever to our outgoing chairman. He did a great job," Johnson explained.

"The intelligence community and everything related to it needs a fresh start," he added. "And that's what this is about. Nothing else."

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On Wednesday evening, Turner shared a post on X, saying he was "proud" to have served as chairman and praised his leadership for having "restored the integrity of the Committee."

But a little more than an hour earlier, CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan claimed Turner had told her Johnson had "fired" him, citing "concerns from Mar-a-Lago."

Critics have suggested Turner was nixed because he is one of the few House Republicans who openly supports Ukraine and the country's role in NATO, stances with which Trump does not agree.

Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, who is also a top member of the committee, heavily criticized Johnson for the moving, arguing that Congress should "function as a check and balance to the Executive Branch, not cater to its demands."