Texas Republican says at least 4 colleagues support Trump for Speaker

Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) said Wednesday at least four of his House GOP colleagues have committed to supporting his effort to make former President Trump the next Speaker of the House.

Nehls said he would nominate Trump late Tuesday, hours after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted from the job by an alliance of Democrats and a small group of disgruntled GOP hard-liners.

He said he has the support of Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) and Barry Moore (R-Ala.). 

Steube previously made his support public late Tuesday, and Luna’s office confirmed her support to The Hill, which has reached out to Jackson and Moore’s offices for comment.

There is no requirement that a Speaker be a member of the House, but Trump said Wednesday he would not take the top House job if offered.

“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 told reporters at a Manhattan courthouse.

The former president will instead focus on his reelection campaign, he said.

“My focus is totally on that. 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.

Despite a handful of Republicans now saying they want to see Trump as Speaker, he may not be eligible to take the gavel under current GOP conference rules.

According to Rule 26 of the House Republican Conference Rules, a “member of the Republican Leadership shall step aside if indicted for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed.”

Trump is facing dozens of felony counts across numerous state and federal cases.

However, House Republicans could also vote to change the rule.

McCarthy announced late Tuesday that he would not attempt to become Speaker again. The GOP conference will have a candidate forum Tuesday to select their pick for the role, with Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) presiding.