Back in January, the New York Times wrote about the “ironclad bond” between the newly-elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), the conservative firebrand who, in the previous Congress, had been banned from serving on committees.
While a group of right-wing Republicans in the House at the time sought to block McCarthy from becoming speaker, and then worked to extract concessions from him, Greene supported McCarthy for the speakership and continued to support him throughout the year, including when McCarthy reached an agreement with the White House to avoid a debt ceiling default.
“I will never leave that woman,” McCarthy said in the January Times story. “I will always take care of her.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared to calculate that drawing herself closer to McCarthy would help her gain influence, especially after she was not allowed to serve on committees previously.
But now that McCarthy has been deposed as speaker, what does that mean for Greene?
Following McCarthy’s ouster — which Greene voted against — the Georgia Congresswoman had plenty to say.
Per The Wall Street Journal, Greene predicted that McCarthy would run for speaker again, although he later said he would not.
“No one has come forward and no one has shown any interest in running for speaker. No one has support in the conference like Kevin McCarthy does. So that’s been my question the entire time is what’s the plan, and there’s not a plan, and I think that’s the most concerning part about it,” Greene told the Journal.
Greene had, however, been critical of what she called the “spending chaos,” after McCarthy agreed to support a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown last week. She had also warned Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) against filing the very motion to vacate that he brought, successfully, on Tuesday.
So where does Greene go in a post-McCarthy House? On X on Tuesday, she announced who she’s backing for speaker: Donald Trump.
“The only candidate for Speaker I am currently supporting is President Donald J. Trump. He will end the war in Ukraine. He will secure the border,” Greene said on the social media network.
“He will end the politically weaponized government. He will make America energy independent again. He will pass my bill to stop transgender surgeries on kids and keep men out of women’s sports. He will support our military and police. And so much more!”
Donald Trump is not going to be the Speaker of the House. The idea, despite an endorsement from Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-TX), is a non-starter for several reasons, some legal and others logistical.
Trump, who is both actively running for president and facing multiple criminal trials in different jurisdictions, simply does not have time to spend the next year-plus as speaker of the House. Being the House speaker is a full-time job, which requires the holder to be in Washington the majority of the time, and Trump is simply not able to do that.
Furthermore, being the leader of a legislative body requires very specific political skills that not everyone in politics possesses. A successful speaker must be both a master of parliamentary procedure and someone able to herd their caucus and whip votes. The likes of Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell have shown themselves adept at this over long periods of time, while Kevin McCarthy clearly did not, and those aren’t skills associated with Trump either.
Plus, current House rules say that anyone under indictment, which Trump is, must step aside.
The idea of Trump as speaker has been floated before, mostly as part of a fantasy, right out of “House of Cards,” that Trump would become speaker and then use impeachments to force his way back to the presidency. But that possibility appears even more remote.
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Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Stephen has authored thousands of articles over the years that focus on politics, technology, and the economy for over a decade. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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