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Additionally, it’s possible that at least one of the reasons Trump is running for president is to keep himself out of prison. If he’s convicted of any of the counts of criminal conduct he faces, he’ll want someone in the White House who’s friendly to the idea of a pardon. Right now, he’s betting on himself, but a wobbly dead-heat rematch might not be as sound as, say, a Haley nomination, at least according to those polls. As House speaker, Trump could whip the political clout of an entire conference behind the candidate most likely to beat Biden (in exchange for assurance of pardon, presumably).
Donald Trump backs Mike Johnson amid calls from right for his ouster - USA TODAY
Donald Trump backs Mike Johnson amid calls from right for his ouster.
Posted: Fri, 12 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Protesters Hang Palestinian Flag from Venue Before Joe Biden's Speech
It’s an irony that shouldn’t be lost on Democrats who, by voting with a group of hard-right rebels earlier this week to expel McCarthy, paved at least the path for Trump to get there. Not only that, but Trump – a figure who is accused of, less than two years ago, helping whip up a mob at the US Capitol – would have been at the helm of the “people body”. Trump as speaker had always seemed like a provocative but ultimately unlikely scenario. It would, temporarily, end the bickering and give a short-term reprieve to Republicans while they continue their not-so-private machinations and infighting. Beyond Trump, Republican representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio and Steve Scalise of Louisiana are widely thought to be the main frontrunners for speaker. Running for speaker could have been a distraction, if not a demotion from his previous heights in the White House.
Biden swipes at Trump at White House correspondents' dinner
The president called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to release Gershkovich immediately, adding that the White House was also doing everything it could to bring home freelance journalist Austin Tice and businessman Paul Whelan. The president said later that age was the only thing he and Trump had in common, adding, “My vice president actually endorses me,” a reference to former Vice President Mike Pence's refusal to say he'll back his former running mate in 2024. "And I have been told that President Trump might be open to helping the Republican Party, at least in the short term, if necessary," Hannity said. "No, I think that it's not something I wanted. A lot of people bring it up. It's brought up all the time," Trump said. Trump spent much of the interview complaining about his various prosecutions, which have reduced his ability to campaign.
Mike Johnson and the troubled history of recent Republican speakers
At least three GOP House members—Texas Rep. Troy Nehls, Florida's Greg Steube and Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Greene—have already indicated that they will support the former president in voting to select a new House Speaker. He has led investigations into prosecutors who have charged the former president with criminal conduct and has been helping lead efforts to impeach Biden. With an early morning social media post on Friday, Trump inserted himself into the chaotic race to replace Kevin McCarthy as House speaker by backing Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan for the post.
A handful of Republican lawmakers have already indicated their support for Trump taking the position. The well-respected No. 2 Republican, Eric Cantor of Virginia, had lost his primary in 2014. The No. 3, McCarthy, soon ran aground over remarks in a TV interview and lacked the votes to be speaker.
Donald Trump Leads Joe Biden in Every Battleground State: Polling Averages
“All I can say is we’ll do whatever is best for the country and for the Republican Party,” Trump said. Becoming Speaker of the House would return Trump to the Washington, D.C., spotlight and could afford him the opportunity to preside over an impeachment of President Joe Biden, if Republicans sought to oust him from office. "We need to unite the conference, I think I can do that. My colleagues who have reached out to me seem to think the same thing," Jordan said, according to Andrew Solender of Axios. Snell alludes to a rule enacted on January 3, 2005, which seems to bar Trump from the position as written. Representatives Troy Nehls of Texas and Greg Steube of Florida have also supported Trump as speaker. Rudy Giuliani, Trump's former lawyer and fellow indicted defendant in the election interference case in Georgia, also floated the idea on X, formerly Twitter.
Donald Trump says he would accept House speaker job, but a GOP lawmaker predicts he'll back Jim Jordan
Speaking with Fox News Digitial, Trump said that he would be willing to take on a short-term position as speaker if Republicans can't agree on anyone else in the caucus. But more Republicans voted against the aid than for it, showing just how much Mr. Trump’s broad isolationism — and his movement’s antipathy to Ukraine — has divided the G.O.P. in an election year. "No, I think that it's not something I wanted," Trump said in a March 2022 interview with the Just the News website. "A lot of people bring it up. It's brought up all the time. No, it's not something I want to do. I want to look at what's happening, and then we're going to be doing something else. No, it's not something I would be interested in." He is facing charges in two federal cases—one related to the classified documents held at his Mar-a-Lago estate and the other in connection to his election interference efforts, culminating in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Donald Trump
Conservatives deal another blow to Speaker Johnson, defeating FISA rule after Trump push - CNN
Conservatives deal another blow to Speaker Johnson, defeating FISA rule after Trump push.
Posted: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Earlier today, Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, said he plans to nominate Trump for speaker. Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones said that voting in Trump as the next speaker would be a good "litmus test" for Republicans in relation to the ex-president's "fake" trials and charges. While theoretically possible, it is unlikely that Trump will receive enough support overall to be elected House Speaker. Trump, who is running for president in 2024, has also previously stated that he is not interested in the position. Tennessee rep. Andy Ogles included Trump's name in a list of potential candidates for House Speaker, but did not say whether he would support the former president.
Speaker Johnson to meet with Trump, offers Marjorie Taylor Greene advisory role as own job teeters
Democrats mocked the idea of Trump visiting Capitol Hill less than three years after his supporters ransacked the building during the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. "If I can help them during the process, I would do it," Trump said, a comment that a few House Republicans cited in urging him to seek the job anyway. McCarthy also said he supported Johnson, as did moderates and far-right members across the spectrum. Johnson’s ability to unite his own side of the aisle was obvious — at least for now. In one of his first gestures after his election, Johnson told Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries that he looked forward to working with him.
Trump has struggled to perform well against Biden in general election polling matchups. Regardless of whether he intends to accept an offer to become speaker, Trump's committed to being a powerful force in the 2022 midterms in the hopes of helping Republicans retake control of Congress. Just as he plans to endorse people in the 2022 midterms, it's possible Trump could make his thoughts about who should take over as speaker of the House known, as well. Aside from Trump, Representative Jim Jordan has already expressed his interest in being the next speaker and has received some support, including from Representative Matt Gaetz. The Democrats look set to once again vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who ran for Speaker in January against McCarthy, although he would require several Republican votes to be elected. It is unclear exactly when a new election for House Speaker will begin, as this will be the first time in U.S. history that such a vote will not be taking place at the start of a new Congress term.
The new speaker, Congressman Mike Johnson, is already being called MAGA Mike by Trump and others. But many here in Washington say the three weeks of chaos that led to Johnson's new position revealed more about Trump's limitations than his power. Yet the former president and current GOP 2024 frontrunner is ineligible for the post under the party’s own rules barring anyone under indictment for serious charges from any House leadership role. All I can say is we’ll do whatever’s best for the country and for the Republican Party,” Trump told reporters at the courthouse Wednesday. Regardless of who becomes the next speaker, Trump has undeniable sway over House Republicans.
That omission has occasionally led to speculation that there could be a nonmember leader of the House. Long before the possibility of a Trump speakership, the notion of a non-House member speaker has been catnip for journalists and other politicos, who have engaged in parlor games about which major figure might be able to whip the institution into shape. But this scenario has never come close to fruition and has become something of a running joke among Washington, D.C., insiders. But if Trump is somehow selected, Republicans might have to change their rules. Trump's symbolic move to endorse Jordan comes as the lawmaker heads impeachment inquiry hearings into President Joe Biden powered by allegations that Biden financially benefited from his family's foreign business dealings. Jordan also previously criticized Trump's impeachments and supported the idea to expunge them.
A right-wing Republican from Georgia close to Trump, Greene has filed a motion to vacate the speaker, a procedural tool that allows a quick vote on his leadership, and now hangs over Johnson’s every move. “We’re going to regroup and consider next steps,” Johnson, R-La., told reporters as he called an impromptu meeting of Republicans in the Capitol basement. It all leaves Johnson, just six months on the job, in a similar place as Kevin McCarthy, the previous House speaker who was unceremoniously voted out of the speaker’s chair last fall — the first in history to be toppled. Trump is currently facing 91 felony counts in four districts, in criminal cases brought by three different sets of prosecutors. He’s in the middle of a $250 million civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who accused him and his family business of rampant fraud.
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