Former President Donald Trump may see himself as someone who can bring order to the unruly House – posting an image of himself brandishing a gavel and sitting in the speaker’s chair.
Trump posted the image on his Truth Social platform Wednesday afternoon, at a time when chaos in the House was taking center stage and even pushing out coverage of his civil trial in New York, where Trump was once again attacking prosecutor Letitia James.
The image showed Trump brandishing a large gavel, while wearing his trademark Make America Great Again hat.
It came at a time when Republicans were savaging each other for either backing or taking down former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with Trump loyalist Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) slamming the interim speaker pro tem Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) for sending lawmakers home to their districts.
Mr Speaker? Former President Trump posted an image of himself presiding over the House Chamber – after several House Republicans floated his name for Speaker
The image kept alive the storyline of Trump himself riding to the rescue, in a chamber that President Joe Biden has accused of becoming ‘mega MAGA.’
House rules do not specify that the speaker must be someone who is an elected House member.
But there are numerous reasons for Trump to think twice about the gig.
But according to the House GOP’s own bylaws, Trump would be barred from holding the top job.
‘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,’ Republican conference rules state.
Trump faces up to 71 years in prison for his Georgia indictment alone, and that is one of just four indictments he is facing.
The speakership would put him third in line to the presidency. The post carries no pardon authority. Trump has said it is ‘very unlikely’ he would pardon himself if reelected.
Whoever gets the job will be tasked with presiding over a four-vote majority in a conference where a succession of leaders have departed on difficult terms.
Trump did not completely rule out the idea when asked about it inside a Manhattan courthouse Wednesday, after a handful of right-wing Republicans floated his name for the top job.
Trump’s post came hours after Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Kevin McCarthy ally, slammed the gavel while sending the house into recess minutes after McCarthy was ousted
‘A lot of people have asked me about it,’ Trump said.
‘We’re leading by like 50 points for president. My focus is totally on that. If I can help them during the process, I would do it. But we have some great people in the Republican party. They will do a great job as speaker,’ he went on.
‘I’ll do whatever it is to help but my focus is being president,’ Trump added.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a historic vote on a motion to vacate brought forth by GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, Fla.
Gaetz is a Trump loyalist who said he spoke to Trump by phone during McCarthy’s final days and suggested Trump backed his efforts. But Trump also made a social media post where he asked why Republicans were fighting each other instead of President Biden, which seemed to urge them to knock it off.
‘Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren’t they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our Country?’ Trump posted.
Eight Republicans sided with all Democrats to push out their leader – making McCarthy the shortest-lived speaker in 140 years and the first one ever to be pushed out in the middle of his term.
But some of them aren’t backing Trump’s bid to reclaim the White House.
Former President Donald Trump is ‘open’ to being speaker of the House as after a handful of right-wing Republicans floated his name for the top job
Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a historic vote on a motion to vacate brought forth by GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz , Fla.
‘The only candidate for Speaker I am currently supporting is President Donald J. Trump,’ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X.
‘@realDonaldTrump for Speaker,’ Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., added.
‘Kevin McCarthy will NOT be running again as Speaker. I nominate Donald J. Trump for Speaker of the House,’ said Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas.
But Trump has been indicted four times in the last six months. He’s been indicted on 91 federal and state charges and faces hundreds of years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Two of the cases are federal – one related to his handling of classified documents and one related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
There is no consensus yet on who will be the next speaker of the House.
Since McCarthy’s ouster Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan have emerged as frontrunners to take on the top job and have begun making calls to rank-and-file offices to gauge support.
Rep. Kevin Hern, chair of the Republican Study Committee, and Whip Tom Emmer have also hinted at interest in the role and called around to different offices.
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