(Washington Examiner) Former President Donald Trump reiterated his support for Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) bid for House speaker, walking back comments in which the former president declined to say on Tuesday whether he would endorse the California Republican after he failed to garner enough support to clinch the top position.
The House adjourned just before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday without selecting a speaker, as no nominee was able to secure the majority after three rounds of voting, with lawmakers set to reconvene at noon on Wednesday to resume the election. Trump called on Republican defectors to back McCarthy’s speakership bid, warning the party not to ”turn a great triumph into a giant and embarrassing defeat.”
“Some really good conversations took place last night, and it’s now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA, THE ONLY SPEAKER IN U.S. HISTORY TO HAVE LOST THE ‘HOUSE’ TWICE!” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning. “Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB — JUST WATCH!”
Trump’s comments come after he declined to back the California Republican in an interview with NBC News, calling into question one of McCarthy’s key endorsements. However, McCarthy maintained he still had Trump’s support after the House adjourned.
“Trump has already reiterated his support; I talked to him tonight,” McCarthy told reporters after a closed-door meeting on Tuesday night.
McCarthy’s failure to clinch the speakership marks the first time a lawmaker has failed to clinch the leadership position in the first round of voting since 1923, when it took nine ballots for Frederick Gillett to obtain the speakership. However, his defeat was not surprising, as the House Republican acknowledged he’d likely lose in the first round and vowed to go through as many roll call votes as necessary to secure the seat.
“If what’s holding up today is simply about a few members who want something they haven’t earned, we can’t give in to that,” McCarthy said before voting began Tuesday. “We have to be strong.”
By the end of the third roll call vote on Tuesday, McCarthy faced at least 20 defectors in the Republican Party who voted against his speakership bid — putting him far below the 218-vote threshold needed to secure the seat.
