Former President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a visit to Capitol Hill as two Republican congressmen officially enter the race for House speaker.
According to media reports, multiple sources close to Trump have confirmed that in coming days the former president may speak to the House Republican conference, which is still reeling from the chaotic ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy by a handful of party rabble-rousers on Tuesday.
The news first broke Thursday morning when The Messenger, and later Politico, quoted sources briefed on Trump’s private conversations, who said the former president thought a congressional appearance would reinforce the perception that he is the party’s de facto leader as he continues to dominate fellow 2024 GOP presidential contenders in nationwide and statewide polling.
If it materialized, the visit would take place ahead of Wednesday’s internal GOP election, sources said.
Trump has publicly toyed with the idea of running for the position of House speaker himself since McCarthy’s removal Tuesday evening, and has already received the endorsement of a handful of House Republicans, including Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
However, this would require near unanimous GOP support for the figure who continues to divide Republicans. And, according to House GOP caucus rules, party leadership must step down “if indicted for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed.”
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A potential Trump visit would come as one of his closest allies in the House, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, competes with House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., for lawmakers’ support.
Both conservative veterans threw their hats in the ring Wednesday and are already racking up endorsements before they make their pitches in Tuesday’s candidate forum.
Jordan, a seasoned conservative combatant, has strong credibility with the Republican grassroots and became one of the most powerful committee chairs in the House under McCarthy, heading both the powerful House Judiciary Committee and the subcommittee on federal government weaponization.
“I am doing the oversight and holding the administration accountable,” Jordan said Wednesday in a letter to his colleagues announcing his run. “And I have been among the leaders in pushing for fiscal discipline my entire career.”
Numerous Republican representatives have endorsed the nine-term congressman, including Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C.
A few Senate Republicans, including Utah Sen. Mike Lee, also expressed support for Jordan on Thursday.
Scalise, for his part, has been navigating GOP party leadership for the better part of a decade, and has the staff and connections to prove it.
“I have a proven track record of bringing together the diverse array of viewpoints within our conference to build consensus where others thought it impossible,” Scalise said Wednesday in a letter announcing his candidacy. “This next chapter won’t be easy, but I know what it takes to fight and I am prepared for the battles that lie ahead.”
The nine-term Louisiana congressman met with the House GOP’s largest voting bloc — the 25 representatives from Texas — on Wednesday. And he has already received the endorsement of Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas.
Scalise also scored the endorsement of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who would be a top contender for Scalise’s position as majority leader were he to win the speakership.
According to the Washington Examiner’s endorsement tracker, Scalise and Jordan can both currently count on about 15 committed supporters. The eventual House speaker, however, will need to consolidate a majority of House votes, 218 in total, likely requiring near-unanimous Republican support.
There is concern that neither Scalise or Jordan can achieve broad appeal among House Republicans, with prominent centrists expressing skepticism toward either candidate.
Jordan recently voted against including Ukraine aid in House spending bills and has told reporters as speaker he would not bring a Ukraine funding bill to the floor — taking a controversial stance on one of the House GOP’s most fraught issues.
Worries also surround Scalise because of his health. The congressman has been undergoing treatment for a form of blood cancer in recent months and was nearly killed by a deranged gunman in 2017, who targeted a group of Republicans practicing for the congressional baseball game.
If Jordan or Scalise were to amass the support necessary to fill the House’s top leadership position, they would leave multiple openings in their wake, leading to additional jockeying among lawmakers.