Can Donald Trump Become Speaker Of The House? 'A Lot Of People Have Asked Me About It'

For the first time in American history, the Speaker of the House was voted out of the leadership position. In a historic move, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was voted out as the Speaker of the House of the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday.

Several members of the House of Representatives have floated the name of former President Donald Trump as a replacement. Here’s a look at if that’s a possibility and how likely it is to happen.

What Happened: McCarthy was voted out of his Speaker of the House role with a 216-210 vote. The vote included eight Republicans voting to remove McCarthy from the role, breaking from the party that has majority control of the House of Representatives.

Members of the House of Representatives will now turn their attention to choosing a new Speaker of the House, a role that includes presiding over the House, counts votes, delegates who can speak and helps assign committee members.

A new Speaker of the House is elected by the House every two years with each new class, or selected when the previous Speaker of the House dies, resigns or is removed from office.

The Speaker of the House is also second in the line of presidential succession order, ranking behind the Vice President.

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Can Donald Trump Become Speaker of the House: The U.S. Constitution laid out plans for a Speaker of the House under Article 1, Section 2.

What the Constitution didn’t lay out were any requirements for the position. Unlike the roles of a senator and the U.S. President which have age requirements and other rules to follow, a Speaker of the House can be anyone.

Some historians argue that the founding fathers assumed the House would select a member from within and didn’t need to spell out the exact details.

A look at history shows that every Speaker of the House has been an elected official and member of the House of Representatives. Every Speaker of the House has also belonged to the majority party, which is not a requirement.

It is worth noting that only one president has served as the Speaker of the House with James Polk serving in the role before he became president.

Another potential item to watch is Rule 26 of the House Republican Conference Rules of the 118th Congress. Under the rules, a member of Republican leadership, including Speaker of the House. would step aside if indicted on a felony that carries a sentence of two or more years imprisonment, as reported by The Hill.

Trump has been indicted multiple times and faces multiple charges including some that carry potential imprisonment.

Donald Trump Gains Support: The January 2023 vote to select a Speaker of the House was highly contentious with 15 ballots needed to secure the position for McCarthy.

On the seventh and eight ballots, Trump secured at least one vote as his name was floated as a possible candidate.

With a replacement for McCarthy needed, Trump’s name has once again entered the ring thanks to support from several members of the House.

Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) said his intention is to nominate Trump as the next Speaker of the House.

“This week, when the U.S. House of Representatives reconvenes, my first order of business will be to nominate Donald J. Trump for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives,” Nehls said.

Nehls added Trump has a proven track record of putting the country first and “will make the House great again,” a reference to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.

Several other members of the House of Representatives have voiced support for Trump’s potential nomination including Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), according to Fox News.

“The only candidate for Speaker I can currently support is President Donald J. Trump,” Greene said.

What Donald Trump Says: Trump previously brushed off being mentioned as a Speaker of the House candidate.

“No, it’s not something I want to do. I want to look at what’s happening, and then we’re going to be doing something else. No, it’s not something I would be interested in,” Trump said last year.

On Wednesday, Trump made his first comments on McCarthy’s removal and his name being linked as a potential replacement.

“A lot of people have asked me about it,” Trump told reporters at his civil fraud court hearing. 

“All I can say is we will do whatever is best for the country and the Republican Party. We have some great, great people,” he said according to Fox News.

Trump was asked if he would consider being the next Speaker of the House and didn’t provide a yes or no, but instead offered up his help and support of the party.

Comments on the 2024 election may suggest he doesn’t want to be Speaker of the House.

“My sole focus is being president and, quite honestly, with actually making America great again. Because we are living in a country in decline. This is a country that is falling badly.”

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