In a bold move that could reshape the political landscape, Texas Republican Troy Nehls announced his intention to nominate former President Donald J Trump as the next speaker of the US House of Representatives. Nehls declared, “President Trump, the greatest president of my lifetime, has a proven record of putting America first and will make the House great again.”
Trump for Speaker is gaining momentum! @RepMTG @RepTroyNehls https://t.co/2xiFn6i5hT
— Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) October 5, 2023
This surprising development follows the unprecedented removal of Kevin McCarthy, a move that sent shockwaves through the Republican party. Unlike McCarthy, who faced internal opposition, Nehls and another congressman, Greg Steube of Florida, have thrown their support behind Trump’s potential candidacy for speaker.
It’s worth noting that the speaker doesn’t have to be a member of Congress, a fact that opens the door for Trump to assume a role he has never held before. However, Trump’s name has been previously floated in this context, particularly during a January vote where right-wing factions tested McCarthy’s leadership.
While Nehls didn’t vote to remove McCarthy, his endorsement of Trump as a speaker nominee adds momentum to the idea. In a broader political landscape, Trump remains a dominant figure, leading the Republican presidential primary despite facing 91 criminal charges and civil threats, including a New York fraud trial and a defamation case related to a rape allegation deemed “substantially true” by a judge.
Speculation surrounding Trump’s potential withdrawal from the presidential race has been fueled by revelations in Michael Lewis’s latest book. According to the author, disgraced cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried contemplated offering Trump a staggering $5 billion to step aside.
Fox News, a media outlet closely aligned with Trump, reported on Tuesday that “some House Republicans” have initiated efforts to draft Trump as a potential speaker. Sean Hannity, a long-time ally of Trump, hinted at this development, underlining the ongoing influence and appeal that the former president holds within the party.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, the possibility of Donald Trump assuming the role of House speaker adds a new layer of intrigue to an already tumultuous period in American politics.
