McCarthy Responds to Speculation That Trump Should Be Elected House Speaker

Former President Donald Trump poses with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in a file photo. Save America PAC

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) responded to speculation about former President Donald Trump potentially being voted as House speaker if Republicans take the House majority in 2022.

When asked by a Fox News host about rumors and speculation about Trump’s future, McCarthy said Trump has told him he wants to be president.

“You know, I have talked to President Trump many times,” McCarthy said. “He tells me he wants me speaker, and I think he should be president.”

A spokesperson for McCarthy’s office later told news outlets to clarify that Trump has told him he wants McCarthy to be speaker and Trump wants to be president.

“McCarthy meant and said he wants ‘me’ to be Speaker, but I understand that might not have sounded crystal clear,” a spokesperson told the Daily Caller. The Epoch Times contacted the House GOP leader’s office for comment.

In the interview, McCarthy said Friday that a top priority for him is to win back the House for Republicans in the midterm elections. The party of the president—in this case, Democrats—often loses the House majority during midterms.

“What are the Democrats doing with this majority? They not only want to change the election law, they want to make Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., states,“ McCarthy told Fox News. ”Why? They are doing everything they can to change the structure and constitutionality of our country so they can maintain control illegally ... That’s something we never want to see happen.”

The Constitution doesn’t require the speaker of the House to be a sitting member of Congress, although only elected representatives have been named as speaker throughout U.S. history. The speaker is elected during the beginning of a new Congress via a majority vote.

The speculation about Trump becoming House speaker gained momentum when the former commander-in-chief was asked about the possibility during an interview with commentator Wayne Allyn Root.

“You know, it’s very interesting,” Trump said when asked about a congressional bid in early June.

Several days ago, a statement sent out by Trump’s office confirmed he will be holding his first post-presidential rally on June 26 in Ohio.

“President Trump’s first of many appearances in support of candidates and causes that further the MAGA agenda and accomplishments of President Trump’s administration,” the former president’s Save America PAC stated. During the event, Trump will endorse former adviser Max Miller, who is running for Congress against Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), one of 10 Republicans in the House who voted to impeach Trump earlier this year.