He's In: Trump Says He'd Accept House Speakership, But Only on 1 Condition
Will there be a House Speaker Donald Trump? The former president says that it might happen — on one key condition, that is.
On Thursday, the former president and current GOP front-runner told Fox News that he would take on the speakership, something that some Republicans have proposed, but only in a short-term capacity as a “unifier” for the GOP caucus until a permanent replacement is found.
The announcement came before Trump formally endorsed Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, as his pick for a permanent speaker on Thursday evening.
As Politico noted, Trump had been nominated by Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas — and the idea had been floated for some time, anyway, even before former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy got the boot in a historic vote on Tuesday. (Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was the prime mover behind getting McCarthy removed, even voted for Trump during the seventh round of speaker-voting during January’s contentious election of McCarthy.)
“I have been asked to speak as a unifier because I have so many friends in Congress,” Trump said.
“If they don’t get the vote,” he said, “they have asked me if I would consider taking the speakership until they get somebody longer-term, because I am running for president.
“They have asked me if I would take it for a short period of time for the party, until they come to a conclusion — I’m not doing it because I want to — I will do it if necessary, should they not be able to make their decision.”
While Nehls had put Trump in as a long-term replacement for McCarthy, the former president made it clear that he wouldn’t be doing that.
Instead, if the party couldn’t come to a consensus on who should replace the outgoing speaker — the two main candidates are Jordan and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, both seen as considerably to the right of McCarthy — on a short-term “30, 60, or 90-day period.”
“I would only do it for the party,” the former president added.
There aren’t many rules as to who can or can’t serve as speaker; one doesn’t even need to be a member of the House but simply can be nominated by a House member and chosen with a majority of House votes.
However, the House Republican Conference rules state 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.” Considering the numerous felony indictments that Trump is under, that would generally be considered disqualifying.
But internal party rules can just as easily be made as they can be ignored. As Newt Gingrich pointed out in a Washington Post Op-Ed calling for Gaetz’s expulsion for calling the speaker vote in the first place, those same rules say the motion to vacate the speaker’s chair “should only be available with the agreement of the Republican Conference so as to not allow Democrats to choose the Speaker.”
Well, Gaetz more or less relied on Democrats to chase McCarthy from his post — and while there are certain corners of conservativedom braying like wounded animals over Gaetz’s move, Gingrich included, the House GOP seems more interested in what comes next than flaying the Florida firebrand’s political career.
Given that Gaetz remains more controversial than Trump — in part thanks to the nakedly political nature of the drip-drip-drip of indictments against the former president — this, too, would likely be ignored if neither Jordan nor Scalise could make it to a majority of votes.
That said, Trump’s endorsement of Jordan should do a lot to clear up the race for the speaker’s chair, given the former president’s power and popularity within the party.
“Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, D.C., representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District. Respected by all, he is now Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. As President, I had the honor of presenting Jim with our Country’s highest civilian award, The Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“Jim has a masters degree in Education from Ohio State University & a Law Degree from Capital University. He is STRONG on Crime, Borders, our Military/Vets, & 2nd Amendment. Jim, his wife, Polly, & family are outstanding – He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!”
In addition, Politico confirmed that Trump had relayed his endorsement to Nehls before it was made — perhaps a sign he’d rather not step into the role.
However, as a stopgap measure, being back in a position of official power would hardly hurt Trump any.
Without appearing at a single Republican debate, the former president holds a comfortable lead over his GOP opposition in the 2024 presidential race and is roughly even with President Joe Biden in the polls.
While a 90-day pause in his campaigning would make him less ready to immediately respond to any major shift in these numbers, it would also put him front-and-center in the news — and in a way that has nothing to do with his court cases and would rankle Biden to the core.
Alas, virtually everything involving the House speakership operates along a wait-and-see model, and the lower chamber is adjourned until next week. We’ll likely know more then — although the less we know now, the more likely a Speaker Trump, at least temporarily, becomes.
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