After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed this week, former President Trump hinted to reporters that he might be interested in taking over as speaker of the House.
Trump is the front-runner heading into the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Reporters asked him more about replacing McCarthy outside the Manhattan NY State Supreme Court, where he is being tried for civil fraud.
Trump stated, “I’ve been getting a lot of calls about becoming speaker. I can only say that we will do what is best for our nation and the GOP.”
McCarthy was fired as speaker of the House this week by a vote of 216 to 210. He had been in that position since January. Eight Republicans voted against McCarthy with Democrats because they were unhappy with how he was running the government.
As lawmakers talk about who will run for speaker, Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC) was named acting speaker. An easy majority is all that is needed to win.
Donald Trump said, “If I can assist them during the process, I will. I agree, there are some great Republicans who would be great speakers.”
Trump also said, “My only goal is to be president and, to be honest, to make America great again. Because we live in a country that is getting worse. We are having a terrible time in this country. People around the world don’t value us, and our interest rates, taxes, and inflation are all through the roof.”
House Republicans have consistently been calling for Trump to be speaker of the House since the day they won the majority in the midterm elections of 2022.
This week, after McCarthy was fired, Trump is said to have informed Fox News presenter Sean Hannity that a number of GOP House members had “been in touch with him and even began making attempts to draft” him as the nominee for speaker.
In spite of his earlier declarations to the contrary, Trump told Hannity that, if needed, he “may be open to assisting the Republican Party, at least for the short term,” while he is still a candidate for president.
Some Republican members, like Representatives Troy Nehls of Texas, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Greg Steube of Florida, declared that they would back Trump as speaker.
“President Trump is the best president I’ve ever seen. He has always put America first, and he is the one who is going to make the House great once again,” Nehls said.
