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Editor’s note: Nehls on Thursday evening said on social media that he spoke with former President Donald Trump about the speakership and learned he was supporting Rep. Jim Jordan. Nehls said he too would now support Jordan.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, is recruiting his peers to support the exceedingly improbable push to make former President Donald Trump the next speaker of the House.
After Kevin McCarthy was removed from his position, U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls took to social media to announce his nomination of Donald J. Trump as the new Speaker of the House.
Nehls said this week he has since reached out to a host of other Republicans, including Rep. Ronny Jackson of Amarillo, and said some of them would be open to making the case for Trump as the House votes on its next speaker Wednesday. Jackson, a staunch Trump supporter, used to be the president’s White House physician. Jackson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Jackson tweeted on Thursday afternoon he was throwing his support behind Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
No one who is not a member of Congress has ever served as speaker, and the idea faces near impossible political odds. But Trump has shown some signs of humoring the idea. He is considering visiting the Capitol before the speaker election, Politico reported, and posted a picture of himself with the speaker’s gavel on social media.
Trump is currently the frontrunner among Republicans for the upcoming 2024 presidential election. He has expressed his focus on this race, stating that he will prioritize the best interest of the country and the Republican Party. During a conversation with reporters on Wednesday outside a New York courthouse, where he is facing a civil suit, Trump acknowledged that there are already some excellent individuals running for speaker.
Trump continued, “I am willing to do whatever it takes to assist, but my undivided attention is on fulfilling my role as the president.”
Trump faces overwhelming odds. He finds himself entangled in a complex network of legal disputes, encompassing four criminal indictments tied to payments made to conceal an alleged affair, the unlawful retention of classified materials despite instructions to surrender them, and his endeavors to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
House Democrats have a deep disdain for Trump, and the selection of the speaker requires a majority from the entire House. For Trump to have a chance, he would need overwhelming support from the Republican conference, but there are notable Republicans already running. Democrats voted as a unified front to remove McCarthy and are unlikely to rally behind another Republican contender. In January, they consistently and unanimously voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as the speaker.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Jordan have both thrown their names into the ring to become speaker. Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern has also expressed interest and made a pitch during a Texas Republican delegation lunch Wednesday.
Scalise has already garnered support from several outspoken advocates, such as Representatives Tony Gonzales from San Antonio and Jake Ellzey from Waxahachie.
Most rank and file Republicans seem to be choosing from that pool of candidates. Numerous Texas members expressed their admiration for Scalise, Jordan, and Hern, and stated their willingness to support any of them who could unite the entire conference.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican representative from Georgia and a staunch supporter of former President Trump, has been advocating for his appointment as the speaker.
Disclosure: Politico has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
