Former President Donald Trump endorses Kevin McCarthy for Speaker of the House. But after the election thriller, his enthusiasm waned. Picture: Palm Beach Post via ZUMA Wire / Richard Graulich
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The newly elected House of Representatives is looking for a new Speaker. The election becomes a historical spectacle and shows how torn the Republicans are – because Trump supporters in particular are opposed.
The Republicans have a slim majority. This would allow them to easily elect a new majority leader for the House of Representatives. This position is the third most powerful office in the United States after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
And Republican Kevin McCarthy wants to grab this office. But his party stabs him in the back – and now Trump himself.
McCarthy received too few votes from his own party in the election for speaker – and that in three attempts. There hasn’t been a drama like this in the House of Representatives for a hundred years.
Kevin McCarthy has no support from the party and fails to be elected Speaker in the House of Representatives. Image: AP / Alex Brandon
There’s a “Never McCarthy” sentiment among Republicans
in the Deutschlandfunk Journalist Doris Simon sums it up aptly: There’s a “Never McCarthy” vibe. Former President Donald Trump is now said to have distanced himself from Republican Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy had campaigned to polish Trump’s image again. Among other things, he was photographed with Trump at his home in Florida – three weeks after the storming of the Capitol.
Trump should distance himself from McCarthy
The lack of support for Trump is, according to the British newspaper “Independent” a “clear rebuke” for McCarthy. In November, after the midterms, Trump campaigned for McCarthy to become a spokesman.
In December 2022, Trump said the right “Breitbart News“that House Republicans were playing with fire by not supporting McCarthy. He further said at the time:
“I’m friends with a lot of people who are anti-Kevin (McCarthy). I think almost all of them are very pro-Trump and I am very pro-Trump. But I have told them that they are a very dangerous Play the game. You could end up in the worst possible situation.”
Donald Trump supported Kevin McCarthy in December 2022. Now the tide is probably turning.Image: AP / Ross D Franklin
Now Trumps has opinion apparently changed after McCarthy failed to get backing from far-right House Republicans. In an exclusive interview with correspondent Garrett Haake, Trump is not very enthusiastic. When Haake asked about his support for McCarthy, Trump’s response was: “We’ll see what happens. We’ll see how everything works.”
According to Haake, Trump did not want to say directly whether he would stick to his endorsement of McCarthy as speaker. He is therefore apparently holding back with his support. “Maybe he’s afraid of supporting a loser,” says journalist Simon on Deutschlandfunk.
The next election will take place on January 4th and the thriller about the speaker’s seat in the House of Representatives will probably continue.
Note: This blog is no longer updated. Check out the latest news on the war in Ukraine here.
