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Former President Donald Trump has shown support for Kevin McCarthy in his bid to be elected as House speaker. McCarthy has been a Republican leader since 2009 but never elected as speaker, says Stieber.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
On December 15, former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced his support for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, 57. McCarthy has bid to become Speaker of the U.S. House. Since 2009, McCarthy has been a leader in the House Grand Old Party during his second term in office. However, he has never been as speaker. In 2015, McCarthy was nominated to succeed former House Speaker John Boehner but before the conference vote could start, McCarthy suddenly backed out. Former Representative Paul Ryan then replaced Boehner.
Last November, McCarthy won the nomination to represent Republicans in his bid to become speaker. Representative Andy Biggs, 64, who was defeated by McCarthy during the House GOP vote, announced that he would again stand against McCarthy in the next session. Four other Republican members, including Representatives Matt Gaetz and Ralph Norman, have also publicly announced their objection to McCarthy’s bid as House Speaker. However, to be Speaker of the House, one must receive the most votes during a session with members of both Republican and Democratic parties.
Possible Outcome of the Disunity
According to Stieber, experts say that the opposition among the Republicans could lead to a Democrat becoming speaker. If most Republicans will not vote for McCarthy and Democrats will unite behind their candidate, Democrats may have a strong chance of winning. Even if only some of the Republicans would favor the Democrat candidate, it would give them the edge despite McCarthy receiving votes from his party. In acknowledgment of these concerns, Biggs and other Republicans have demanded that McCarthy relinquish his nomination. Republicans must find a candidate that all of them would support. If Democrats win the new Congress, priorities for Republicans would be delayed, says a California member.
