Trump tells allies to 'hammer' GOP speaker hopeful right after talking with him: report

Former President Donald Trump appears to be toying with a Republican lawmaker who has ambitions of becoming the next GOP speaker.

Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman reports that Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) had a phone conversation with Trump on Saturday in the hopes of talking about reported reservations Trump has about letting him become the most powerful man in the House of Representatives.

But just two days after the call, reports the Washington Post's Leigh Ann Caldwell, Trump gave his allies the green light to take Emmer down.

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"Trump has directed his allies to hammer Emmer, according to people close to Trump," she writes on Twitter. "As of last night he was likely to stay out of it. While he might not say anything, he’s asked his allies to."

Trump's allies early on Monday morning began trash-talking Emmer to Politico's Playbook, with one MAGA Republican telling the publication that Emmer is "openly hostile to Trump."

"It’s laughable that he, at the end of the day, would end up being the speaker of the House," the source told Politico. "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."