Republicans who disagree to support speaker support Trump
2023.01.05 14:18
Republicans who disagree to support speaker support Trump
Budrigannews.com – One of McCarthy’s hardline opponents cast his vote in favor of the former president a day after Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives rejected Donald Trump’s request that they support Kevin McCarthy’s campaign for speaker.
In the seventh round of voting, Representative Matt Gaetz, one of 20 hardline House members who rejected McCarthy, voted for Trump. He was the only member to do so, preventing Trump from receiving the required 218 votes.
Some Republicans blamed Trump’s support for inexperienced or far-right candidates for the party’s narrower than anticipated victory in the midterm elections in November. The small hardline group has a significant amount of influence due to that small majority.
Gaetz, in particular, has been McCarthy’s nemesis, claiming that the California legislator could not win McCarthy’s support.
Although no outsider has held the position of speaker of the House, the United States Constitution does not stipulate that the speaker must be a member of the House.
According to Republican strategists, Trump’s refusal to support McCarthy by House hardliners demonstrates the former president’s waning influence over the party he reshaped.
A Trump representative referred back to Trump’s Wednesday post urging “VOTE FOR KEVIN” when asked about Gaetz’s move on Thursday.
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