Former president Donald Trump attempted to rally Republicans around Representative Kevin McCarthy’s (R., Calif.) ailing bid for the House speakership today.
“[I]t’s now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA, THE ONLY SPEAKER IN U.S. HISTORY TO HAVE LOST THE ‘HOUSE’ TWICE!” Trump wrote on his social-media platform, Truth Social, Wednesday morning.
Trump has previously spoken out in support of McCarthy’s candidacy for speaker, but this is the first time he’s expressed that support following yesterday’s tumultuous proceedings in the House.
Congress is expected to hold an additional vote today, after the race for speaker went into three ballot rounds for the first time in a century on Tuesday. GOP members yesterday threw their support yesterday behind other candidates, such as Louisiana’s Steve Scalise or Ohio’s Jim Jordan, and left McCarthy with fewer votes than the Democratic representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
Following the Republican Party’s poor showing during the midterm elections in November 2022, McCarthy’s grasp on the speakership has looked tenuous. The California Republican made concessions earlier this week to his Republican detractors, many of whom are affiliated with the Freedom Caucus, in an attempt to win over crucial votes.
Among the concessions McCarthy has offered his fellow Republicans is one rule change allowing a no confidence vote with as few as five party members.
“Just as the Speaker is elected by the whole body, we will restore the ability for any 5 members of the majority party to initiate a vote to remove the Speaker if so warranted,” McCarthy wrote on Sunday in a letter addressed to House Republicans.
Proxy-voting, an issue highlighted during the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill voting when over 200 congressional representatives were absent, also featured in McCarthy’s comprise.
“Congress was never intended for Zoom, and no longer will members be able to phone it in while attending lavish international weddings or sailing on their boat. We will meet, gather and debate in person — just as the founders envisioned,” McCarthy noted in the letter.
With voting set to resume at noon on Wednesday, Trump’s last-ditch appeal comes as many Republicans continue to doubt whether the former president is an asset or liability to the party’s electability.
“IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE, YOU DESERVE IT. Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – JUST WATCH!” Trump signed off his post.