House Majority Whip Tom Emmer dropped out of the speaker race on Tuesday after former President Donald Trump warned Republicans not to support Emmer, saying he is “totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters.”
Emmer had won the Republican speaker nomination on Tuesday morning, but around 26 House Republicans voted against Emmer during the closed-door roll call vote, according to multiple reports, indicating that he likely did not have the support necessary to become speaker.
“I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA—MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
“He fought me all the way, and actually spent more time defending Ilhan Omar, than he did me—He is totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters,” Trump added. “I believe he has now learned his lesson, because he is saying that he is Pro-Trump all the way, but who can ever be sure? 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!”
House Democrats have said that they find Emmer to be the least objectionable candidate and are even open to helping him gain the speakership, Punchbowl News reported, since he voted to certify the 2020 presidential election.
Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, who ran against Emmer for House Whip last year, also released a statement critiquing Emmer on Tuesday and promising that he would vote against the Minnesota Republican.
“I’ve supported every Republican nominee to be Speaker of the House so far, but I will not vote for Tom Emmer on the House floor,” Banks said. “The left-flank of our conference blocked Speaker-designee Jim Jordan then nominated the single most liberal member of leadership to continue business as usual in Washington. They are holding our conference hostage and pushing Republicans to betray our voters and abandon our promises to the American people.”
“I won’t go a long with it,” Banks stressed.
Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna similarly said she would not be supporting Emmer on the floor.
“This morning I voted for Rep Donalds for Speaker,” she said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Followed by Rep Johnson. Rep Emmer does not have votes to be speaker and I will be unable to support him on the floor. So, I’m going to ask Rep. Mark Green to throw his hat in the ring. We need to get a speaker!”
Over the past week, Republicans underwent three rounds of voting on Jim Jordan of Ohio for speaker. Jordan lost all three rounds, and on Friday afternoon, House Republicans voted to remove him as the nominee for speaker.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had won the speaker position in January after 15 rounds of voting. The House ousted him from his leadership position on Oct. 3. Steve Scalise had won the Republican conference vote for the speaker nomination over Jordan in early October, but he dropped out after a flurry of Republicans said they would not vote for him.
“This House of Representatives needs a speaker, and we need to open up the House again. But clearly, not everybody is there,” Scalise said at the time, Fox News reported. “And they’re still schisms that have to get resolved. I never came here for a title I’ve had some great titles. I’m the majority leader of the House, and I love the job I have.”
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