Trump As The Next House Speaker? Republicans Are Making Sure It Won’t Happen

Following Kevin McCarthy’s removal from the position of Speaker of the House, some Republicans have proposed the idea of Donald Trump assuming the role.

However, potential legal challenges surrounding the former president could impede any efforts to integrate him into the GOP leadership in the House, as stipulated by Republican Conference rules.

McCarthy’s historic ousting from the top post occurred on Tuesday, with eight members of his own caucus joining Democrats in voting against him.

After McCarthy declared he would not pursue the speakership again, Representative Troy Nehls, who had supported McCarthy’s retention as speaker, used X  to nominate Trump for the position.

Another McCarthy supporter, Representative Greg Steube, aalso floated the idea, tweeting, “@realDonaldTrump for Speaker us.”

Nonetheless, even if Trump garnered full-fledged Republican support within the House, Rule 26 of the GOP Conference outlines that “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.”

These conference rules are ratified by all members in the November preceding each congressional session.

Trump has faced indictment on four occasions in the last six months. He confronts charges in two federal cases, one involving classified documents stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate and the other connected to his involvement in election interference, culminating in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Additionally, he has been indicted in Manhattan in connection with a hush money payment made to an adult film star and in Georgia in a case related to efforts aimed at overturning the 2020 presidential election results in the state.

In total, Trump has been charged with 91 felony counts, many of which carry sentences exceeding two years of imprisonment.

Fox News anchor Sean Hannity revealed on his show Tuesday night, “Some House Republicans have been in contact with and have started an effort to draft former President Trump to be the next speaker. I have been told that President Trump might be open to helping the Republican Party, at least in the short term, if necessary, if needed.”

When questioned on Wednesday about the prospect of assuming the role of House Speaker, Trump shared his thoughts with reporters outside the Manhattan courtroom where he’s currently entangled in a civil fraud trial. He stated, “All I can say is we’ll do whatever’s best for the country and for the Republican Party.”

He acknowledged that many individuals had inquired about this possibility and continued, “A lot of people have asked me about it…. My focus is totally on [the presidential election]. If I can help them during the process, I would do it.”

Democratic Representative Sean Casten, however, pointed out that appointing Trump as the House Speaker would run counter to the Republican Party’s own conference rules.

In response to a clip from Hannity’s segment, Casten remarked, “I would direct your attention to Rule 26(a) of the House Republican Conference rules for the 118th Congress.”

GOP Representative Matt Gaetz, who spearheaded the effort to remove McCarthy, has previously voiced his endorsement of Trump assuming the House Speaker role.

Last year, Gaetz declared that if Republicans regained the House majority, he would “dismiss” then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and “nominate Donald Trump for speaker of the United States House of Representatives.”

However, Trump had previously expressed disinterest in the prospect if Republicans regained control of the House during the November 2022 midterms.

In a March 2022 interview with the Just the News website, Trump affirmed, “No, I think that it’s not something I wanted. 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.”