Former President Donald Trump is privately encouraging allies to support House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House speaker, according to two sources familiar with the effort, believing the California Republican will be an asset to way, if the former president finds himself in a contested 2024 primary.
House Republicans are expected to meet Monday night to discuss leadership candidates and hold a closed-door vote Tuesday. McCarthy will only need a simple majority to advance from Tuesday’s vote, but the floor vote for speaker will take place when the new House convenes in January, and McCarthy will need 218 votes at that time to win the speakership.
Trump reaffirmed his support for McCarthy’s leadership in an interview with Fox News last week and has since been working the phones to get Republican allies to back him, particularly conservative members who remain skeptical of McCarthy.
The news comes on the eve of Trump’s expected announcement of a third presidential campaign. The former president and the California Republican have spoken several times since the midterm elections, sources said, and McCarthy’s camp hopes Trump’s support will help win over some of Trump’s staunchest supporters who have been critical of McCarthy.
Despite Trump’s pro-McCarthy campaign, he hasn’t completely gotten over it. Some of Trump’s staunchest allies are attacking McCarthy across the conservative media. But one notable Trump ally who will vote in the speaker’s race took to Steve Bannon’s podcast Monday to voice his support for McCarthy: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who called it a “poor strategy” and “dangerous.” challenge McCarthy, given their likely slim majority.
McCarthy has worked hard to court Green, from weekly meetings with her in his office to her promise of better committees after Democrats fired her from the committees for inflammatory comments.
Meanwhile, Trump aides and allies have been privately criticizing Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, amid overwhelming GOP midterm gains, especially on the House floor. CNN has not yet predicted which party will control the lower house, although Republicans appear on track to win a narrow majority in the House. Emmer is competing against Rep. Jim Banks, an ally of Donald Trump Jr., for the House Democratic seat.
“The strategy is to shield McCarthy from accountability because [Trump] he needs him for his presidency,” a Trump adviser said.
Trump has been eager to lock in public support from Republicans for his third presidential bid, with a separate GOP source saying he asked to see which GOP lawmakers endorsed him in the media. So far, House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik has been the highest-ranking Republican to formally endorse Trump’s 2024 candidacy.
Trump’s support for McCarthy contrasts with his relationship with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Democratic Party sources told CNN last week that Trump is calling on his Senate allies to fuel opposition to the Kentucky Republican ahead of a leadership election in that chamber on Wednesday.
A small but vocal group of GOP senators has been calling for their leadership election to be delayed so they can have a “family conversation” about why the GOP has underperformed. And at least one Republican, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, has publicly vowed to oppose McConnell’s bid for GOP leader.
McConnell has been calling colleagues in recent days to drum up support as his group plans to move to a leadership election on Wednesday. They plan to have a GOP air clearing session on Tuesday.
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, a former chairman of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus, is considering mounting a long-term challenge to McCarthy during Tuesday’s internal House GOP leadership election, according to GOP sources familiar with the matter. issue. McCarthy’s team has prepared for this eventuality.
