Trump argues Kevin McCarthy's failed Speakership votes are actually a good thing

Donald Trump tried to spin on Kevin McCarthy's failure to emerge as speaker of the House after two days and six ballots.

The House GOP remains locked in a contentious stalemate after a small group of hardline conservatives refused to vote for the California Republican, who Trump has backed and publicly endorsed Wednesday on his Truth Social website, and the former president posted another statement overnight suggesting the chaos was good, actually.

"I actually think that a big Republican VICTORY today, after going through numerous Roll Calls that failed to produce a Speaker of the House, has made the position & process of getting to be Speaker BIGGER & MORE IMPORTANT than if it were done in the more traditional way," Trump posted, "much like me again becoming President after having won big in 2016, gotten many Millions of MORE VOTES in 2020 but 'supposedly' not winning (BIG LIE!), & then winning again in 2024. It will be BIGGER than the traditional way!"

The House of Representatives cannot move forward with any legislative business, such as passing its own rules, until a speaker is elected, and Trump did win more votes in his second election than in his first against Hillary Clinton, but he lost the popular vote by a historic, nearly 7 million-vote margin in 2020 to Joe Biden, who also won the Electoral College by 306-232.