As some Republicans are issuing calls for Donald Trump to jump into the recently vacated House speaker role, the former president says he’s focused on just one thing: getting back into the White House.
“Lot of people have been calling me about speaker, all I can say is we’ll do whatever is best for the country and for the Republican Party,” Trump said Wednesday while at a Manhattan courthouse for the third day of his civil fraud trial. Trump, his adult sons and his businesses are being sued for up to $250 million in penalties stemming from what New York authorities describe as persistent business fraud.
Despite the trial, Trump took a minute to answer reporters’ questions about the possibility of a speakership bid.
“My focus is totally on [the presidency]. If I can help them during the process, I’ll do it. But we have some great people in the Republican Party that could do a great job as speaker,” Trump said.
At least three House Republicans have publicly called for Trump to be named the next speaker of the House after Kevin McCarthy was removed Tuesday. McCarthy has said he does not plan to seek the speakership again, setting up a race for his replacement as Reps. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan have already launched their bids.
Trump, whose first venture into politics was running for president, has no grounding in the legislative process and has never indicated he would want to become speaker. In its history, the House has never had a speaker who wasn’t a member of Congress — though it technically isn’t a constitutional requirement.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) was the first to suggest it Tuesday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) followed suit in a post Tuesday evening: “@realDonaldTrump for Speaker.”
And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said on X that the only candidate she is supporting as speaker is Trump.
Jordan, though, is insisting that Trump is better suited for the White House.
“He’d be great, but actually, I want Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States,” Jordan of Ohio said on Fox’s “Hannity” on Tuesday evening. “If he wants to be speaker, great, but I want him to be president of the United States.”