After former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) confirmed that he would not be seeking the gavel again on Tuesday evening, U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) nominated former President Donald Trump for House Speaker.
“Kevin McCarthy will NOT be running again as Speaker,” Nehls wrote in an X post shortly after McCarthy told the GOP conference that he would not be running again. “I nominate Donald J. Trump for Speaker of the House.”
Kevin McCarthy will NOT be running again as Speaker.
I nominate Donald J. Trump for Speaker of the House.
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) October 3, 2023
House rules allow for members to nominate an individual who is not a member of Congress for speaker. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) previously nominated Trump during the speaker vote that took place earlier this year, while former White House strategist and key Trump ally Steve Bannon endorsed the idea on War Room.
Still, the odds that former President Trump will actually become speaker remain astronomically low.
In the interim, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) will take over as speaker pro tempore. McHenry, who was first elected in 2004, was selected as the House Republican chief deputy whip in 2015 and served in the role until 2019. Earlier this year, he was named as chair of the House Financial Services Committee.
McHenry will have the powers of House speaker in order to guide the chamber through its day-to-day functions until a new speaker is selected. That will not happen this week, as the speaker pro-tempore opted to send lawmakers home until next Monday.
Former Speaker McCarthy told reporters that he does not rule out making an endorsement in the race once the conference decides on nominees. Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) have been floated as contenders in the past, though neither congressman have announced their intention to run.