'Openly hostile to Trump': MAGA allies scramble to torpedo GOP speaker hopeful

House Republicans this week are still trying to find a speaker and Politico's Playbook reports that allies of former President Donald Trump are trying to torpedo a prospective candidate's bid before it even gets off the ground.

Although Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) appears to have significant support within the House Republican conference, some MAGA Republicans are claiming that he would be a poor choice due to his supposed disloyalty to the former president.

"He’s openly hostile to Trump, which isn’t helpful since Trump will be the nominee,” one Republican lawmaker told Playbook. “It’s laughable that he, at the end of the day, would end up being the speaker of the House. Even if he gets the majority of the majority, he will come far short for members who won’t vote for him on the floor."

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Trump himself has reportedly said that he doesn't want Emmer to have the job, and Emmer angered many Trump supporters when he voted to certify the results of the 2020 election on January 6th, 2021, hours after Trump supporters rioted at the United States Capitol building and send lawmakers fleeing for their lives.

Emmer's allies have been pushing back hard, however, and have insisted that voting to certify the election results is the only instance of the Minnesota Republican seriously defying the former president.

"A lot of that was unfounded,” one Emmer ally said of accusations of Emmer's disloyalty to Trump. “But there’s still lingering false narratives from that race... It’s not going to work now to paint Emmer as if he’s a Never Trumper.”