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There is an increasing belief among Republicans that former President Donald Trump could ascend to the prestigious role of Speaker of the House, taking charge after GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy was removed from his position.
In a historic event, McCarthy faced an expulsion vote for the first time in the annals of the United States Congress. With a slim margin of 216-210, McCarthy was unseated as a result of the collective efforts led by Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, who garnered support from both Republicans and Democrats.
Following this monumental development, Texas GOP Rep. Troy Nehls took to the popular online platform known as X, formerly called Twitter, to nominate none other than Trump himself as the Speaker of the House.
Lending solidarity to this sentiment, Republican Representatives Greg Steube of Florida and Mike Collins of Georgia expressed their unambiguous support for Trump to assume this prominent position.
It is important to note that the House Speaker does not have to be a currently serving member of the House. Throughout the January votes and subsequent rounds, Gaetz made compelling arguments and repeatedly advocated for the election of the 45th president as Speaker.
While the civil trial concerning his business dealings drew Trump to New York City this week, he still manages to maintain a decisive lead in the ongoing Republican primary for the presidential nomination.
In the absence of a clear-cut candidate to replace McCarthy, uncertainty prevails among many Republicans in the House. Consequently, the chamber will remain adjourned until the following week, allowing time for potential contenders to emerge.
During an appearance on Fox’s popular show, “The Ingraham Angle,” on Tuesday, Gaetz clarified that his pursuit to remove McCarthy from the speakership was devoid of personal motives. Emphasizing this point, Gaetz assured host Laura Ingraham that he harbored no personal animosity towards the former speaker.
Although Gaetz engaged in public disputes with McCarthy during the latter’s arduous journey to assuming the gavel in January, on Tuesday, Gaetz criticized McCarthy for his collaboration with Democrats on matters such as avoiding a government shutdown.
“This is a man who joined forces with conservatives on trivial matters, but as soon as spending came into question, he aligned himself with the Democrats.
That being said, McCarthy’s tenure as Speaker has reached its conclusion. I genuinely wish him the best and harbor no personal grudges. I hope he discovers greener pastures, and I am certain he will,” Gaetz conveyed.
However, Gaetz stressed the crucial task at hand, stating, “We have an important mission to fulfill here. Our objective is to maintain our commitment to the implementation of single-subject spending bills.”
Ingraham, exercising skepticism, responded, “I have been involved in this industry for decades longer than you, okay? You are a young man. The continuing resolutions, the budget, the spending—it’s an absolute nightmare. Nevertheless, the reality remains that you lack the necessary votes, the margin to progress from point A to point B to point C.”
Ingraham persisted in her inquiry about Gaetz’s strategy to advance his legislative priorities while Democrats maintain control of the Senate, despite Gaetz’s denial. She further questioned, “You still have to contend with that. So, how do you achieve your desired objectives, those conservative holy grail points of governance that we are striving for?”
Gaetz began explaining, “The House is not dictated by the Senate in terms of how it conducts itself.” Yet, before he could finish his response, Ingraham interrupted him, allowing Fox viewers to listen to McCarthy’s comments.
Twenty minutes later, Ingraham returned to the topic and asked Gaetz about McCarthy’s assertion that he harbors a “personal” grudge against him, which allegedly impacted McCarthy’s decision not to intervene in the ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation examining Gaetz’s alleged misconduct and misuse of funds.
Emphatically, Gaetz retorted, “That claim is entirely false.” Ingraham later clarified that she was not implying any wrongdoing in Gaetz’s frustration with McCarthy’s reluctance to intervene in the investigation. In response, Gaetz offered an unequivocal reply: “I am not.”
