Fox News personality Sean Hannity announced that Republicans are actively recruiting former President Donald Trump for Speaker of the House after Kevin McCarthy's ouster, and he has expressed interest in the job.
Remarkably, one does not have to be a member of the House of Representatives to be its Speaker. And the ouster of McCarthy as House Speaker has ignited a surge of support among right-wing pundits and lawmakers for Trump to assume the role.
Hannity cited "sources" that had confirmed to him that far-right Republicans are indeed looking to usher Trump into the House of Representatives—a move that would further polarize a Congress that's already in disarray.
You can hear what Hannity said in the video below.
Hannity said:
"History on Capitol Hill tonight, eight Republican lawmakers joining all 208 House Democrats to remove Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker, the first time in our nation's history and McCarthy will not seek the speakership again."
"Now, sources telling me at this hour some House Republicans have been in contact with and have started an effort to draft former President Donald Trump to be the next Speaker and I have been told that President Trump might be open to helping the Republican Party at least in the short term, if necessary."
In the wake of McCarthy's surprising ouster, notable figures such as conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, and Newsmax, a far-right cable network, have all endorsed the idea of Trump becoming the next Speaker of the House.
Jones, for instance, passionately voiced his support for Trump's nomination on InfoWars, suggesting it could serve as a "litmus test" for Republicans.
Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene called Trump "the only candidate" she is supporting for the role and listed a host of reasons why he would be a great candidate, claiming he would—among other things—"end the war in Ukraine," "secure the border," and "end the politically weaponized government."
She added:
"He has a proven 4 year record as President of the United States of America. He received a record number of Republican votes of any Republican Presidential candidate!"
"We can make him Speaker and then elect him President! He will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"
You can see her post below.
Texas Republican Representative Troy Nehls announced he will file the official paperwork to nominate Trump to be the next Speaker, saying Trump is "the greatest President of my lifetime, has a proven record of putting America First and will make the House great again.”
Trump, whose civil fraud trial is underway in New York, currently faces 91 criminal counts across four separate cases, including two related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election result, one concerning his theft of classified documents, and another for potential campaign finance fraud regarding a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The news he could potentially hold one of the most powerful positions in Congress sparked considerable alarm.
And there was even a question as to whether he would be qualified to be speaker under the GOP's own rules.
Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, who initiated the "motion to vacate" leading to McCarthy's removal, acknowledged the possibility of an outsider campaign for the speakership. He expressed willingness to support current members of Congress for the role but did not rule out considering individuals outside the body.
The chain of events began when Gaetz objected to McCarthy's handling of a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown. The bill ultimately passed with bipartisan support, prompting the vote against McCarthy. Notably, McCarthy is the first House Speaker to be removed by their colleagues, with eight other Republicans and all House Democrats voting for his ouster.
The final vote count stood at 216 members in favor of removing McCarthy, with 210 opposed.
@EdwardLawrence/X