As the House speakership selection saga drags on, House Republicans held multiple rounds of voting on Tuesday to whittle down the field of candidates, with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) winning the party’s speakership nomination only to drop out just hours later, reports indicate.
The final round came down to Emmer and Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), with Emmer winning the nomination 117-97, according to reports.
But despite winning the nomination, it appeared that Emmer’s bid was dead in the water. In another House GOP vote, 21 Republicans voted for someone other than Emmer, and five lawmakers voted present, according to NBC News. That result indicated that Emmer would likely not have had enough support to clinch the speakership if an actual House vote were held.
Former President Donald Trump had also issued a statement sharply criticizing Emmer and suggesting that lawmakers should not back him.
“I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA—MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote in the social media post.
“He fought me all the way, and actually spent more time defending Ilhan Omar, than he did me—He is totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters. I believe he has now learned his lesson, because he is saying that he is Pro-Trump all the way, but who can ever be sure? Has he only changed because that’s what it takes to win? The Republican Party cannot take that chance, because that’s not where the America First Voters are. Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake!” Trump wrote.
The House has been paralyzed without a speaker since earlier this month when Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted from the slot. The House GOP then tapped House Majority Leader Steve Scalise as its speaker nominee, but Scalise later dropped out. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) secured the House GOP speakership nomination but failed to win enough support to clinch the speaker’s gavel during three separate House votes, and his bid ultimately collapsed.
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