After being removed from his post as House speaker in a shocking vote on Tuesday, Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is facing a new and unlikely challenger for the role: none other than former President Donald Trump.
The unexpected nomination, made by Texas Rep. Troy Nehls, comes as the House struggles to find a new leader following McCarthy’s ousting. In a statement, Nehls declared that his first order of business upon the House’s return would be to officially nominate Trump as the next speaker.
“President Trump, the greatest President of my lifetime, has a proven record of putting America First and will make the House great again,” Nehls said, praising Trump for his past accomplishments.
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., quickly followed suit, endorsing Trump in a post on X.
While it may seem like a long shot, this is not the first time Trump has been floated as a potential speaker. In fact, back in January when McCarthy was struggling to secure enough votes to retain his position, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Calif., cast a vote for Trump as a symbolic gesture.
During a Tuesday evening news conference, Gaetz was asked who he would support for speaker if given the chance, and he listed several GOP lawmakers, including Reps. Tom Emmer, Mike Johnson, Jodey Arrington, Kevin Hern, and Steve Scalise. It remains to be seen if any of these names will actually make a run for the position.
House rules dictate that McCarthy, upon his election as speaker in January, provide a secret list of potential successors. It was revealed following the vote on Tuesday that Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., had been selected as the top choice. McHenry, who has served as a chief deputy whip and chair of the House Financial Services Committee, was appointed as interim Speaker until a permanent replacement is chosen.
The vote to oust McCarthy was a dramatic and tense affair, with each member casting their vote by surname as a record. Eight Republican lawmakers ultimately sided with House Democrats in the decision to remove McCarthy from his position.
Following the vote, McCarthy told reporters that he had no intention of running for speaker again, effectively ending his tenure as House speaker. The future of the position remains uncertain as lawmakers scramble to find a suitable replacement.
It seems that once again, Donald Trump’s name has been thrown into the political mix, as he is now being touted as a potential House speaker. Whether or not he will actually make a run for the position remains to be seen, but it has certainly caused quite a stir on Capitol Hill. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
