Tom Emmer.Photo:Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
As the current House majority whip, and therefore the third-most powerful Republican in the House, Emmer seemed to be an obvious choice for the role after previous nominees Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan. But as the past few weeks have shown, the traditionally breezy road to winning a speaker election is not an easy one in the divided Republican Party, which has thus far failed to unite behind a candidate.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted from the House’s top leadership role in early October.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Shortly after McCarthy’s historic ouster, Republicansnominated Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority leader, as their candidate to fill the vacancy. The No. 2 House Republican quickly learned that he would not have enough votes to win the formal speaker election, and he soonwithdrew himself from considerationfor the role.
Last week, Ohio Rep.Jim Jordan was selected as the new Republican House speaker nominee, replacing Scalise on the ballot. But after three rounds of voting in the subsequent House speaker election, Jordan was also unable to secure the number of votes needed to win. By Friday, his dreams of the speakership were dashed when members of his own partyvoted to drop him as the party’s nominee.
Jim Jordan, who was briefly the Republican Party’s House speaker-designate.Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty
Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty
Emmer was then selected to replace Jordan on the ballot Tuesday, surviving less than an afternoon as the speaker-designate. Emmer also had an uphill battle to secure the position in a speaker election, due in large part to his strained relationship with former PresidentDonald Trump— and, therefore, Trump’s allies in Congress.
Emmer has been at odds with Trump in the past, such as when he sharply criticized him in the wake of theJan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
When he decided to run for speaker, Emmer attempted to embrace Trump, calling the former president on the phone earlier this week and writing a message to him on Twitter Monday that read, “Thank you, Mr. President. If my colleagues elect me Speaker of the House, I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship.”
Trump continued: “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!”
Emmer withdrew when it became clear that he would not receive the necessary votes to win the speaker election, once again initiating a search for the next speaker-designate.
source: people.com
