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Donald Trump is considering making a trip to the Capitol amid calls from loyalists within the lower chamber for him to assume the position of House Speaker. Such a visit would be the first time the former president has visited the building since a mob of his supporters breached it in a violent riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Multiple outlets reported on Thursday that the former president is mulling a trip next week ahead of a vote, with Politico noting that he is open to pitching himself as a candidate, citing a Republican familiar with internal discussions. A source familiar with Trump’s recent private discussions tells Rolling Stone that Trump has indeed uttered that he’s open to the possibility of a speakership run. (Trump, of course, often says he’s “considering” or “would consider” a lot of things that never come to fruition.)
On Tuesday, an insurgency of hardline House Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) succeeded in ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from the speakership. As the now-rudderless GOP fights among itself and scrambles to nominate a replacement, Trump loyalists have floated nominating the former president for the role. Critically, there is no requirement that the House Speaker be an elected member of Congress.
As of Thursday, two Representatives have officially entered the race to replace McCarthy: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.). Jordan told NBC News on Thursday that he’d had a “great” conversation with the former president regarding his bid, but declined to dive into the details.
Even within the narrow Republican majority in the House, Trump’s nomination would be divisive. Democrats obviously consider the proposal a nonstarter, and moderate GOP members, as well as those in vulnerable districts, could view even the suggestion of Trump’s return to Congress as a blow to the GOP’s anticipated outcomes in 2024.
While MAGA representatives like Marjorie Taylor Greene have loudly and repeatedly declared their support for a Trump speakership bid, some members of the Republican caucus have already signaled that they’re unwilling to entertain the idea.
“Trump was vehemently opposed to even having a recorded vote in the House on the $2+ trillion CARES Act. He supported Pelosi’s attempt to pass it by “unanimous consent,” without a quorum present. This disqualifies him from being Speaker,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) wrote on Twitter.
Rep. Sean Casten (D-Il.) pointed out that GOP’s own rules may preclude them from even nominating Trump, given that the House Republican Conference rules specify that “a member of the Republican Leadership shall step aside if indicted for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed.”
On Wednesday, Trump shared a digitally created image on Truth Social of himself standing at the speaker’s podium and brandishing the gavel.
On Thursday, the former president wrote on Truth Social that while he is running for president, he will do “whatever is necessary to help with the Speaker of the House selection process, short term, until the final selection of a GREAT REPUBLICAN SPEAKER is made.
“A Speaker who will help a new, but highly experienced President, ME, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump added.
