Key Trump ally in Senate refuses to even entertain the idea of ‘Speaker Trump’

WASHINGTON – While a small band of House Republicans are backing former President Donald Trump to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker of the House — there’s no constitutional requirement that the speaker must be an elected lawmaker — key Republican senators won’t even entertain the idea.

“I don’t have any comment,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) replied when asked.

Some of the very same Republicans who are glad McCarthy’s gone are mum when it comes to giving Trump the speaker’s gavel.

“What are your thoughts on a Speaker Trump?” Raw Story asked Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).

“I just saw that [House Judiciary] Chairman [Jim] Jordan (R-OH) is running for speaker,” Johnson said, changing the subject.

“I can't think of a finer choice than Chairman Jordan. He's intelligent, and he's got a great deal of integrity,” Johnson continued.

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“Some people say he’s just a political animal,” Raw Story pressed.

“I just have nothing but respect for Chairman Jordan,” Johnson said.

Raw Story initially confused Paul when we brought up what some House Republicans are floating.

“What would you make of a Speaker Trump?”

“Of the speaker’s what?” Paul replied.

“What would you make of a Speaker Trump?”

“A Speaker Trump?” Paul replied. “Oh, I don’t have any comment.”

Like Johnson, Paul’s also excited about the prospects of a Speaker Jim Jordan.

“I think he’d be a good speaker. I think he'd get along with the right, the Freedom Caucus well, and maybe be able to pull everybody together,” Paul said.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is also a top contender for the speakership. Other congressmen, such as Kevin Hern (R-OK), Tom Cole (R-OK), Tom Emmer (R-MN) and even interim speaker Patrick McHenry (R-NC), might consider a bid.

But it’s entirely unclear who — if anyone — has the requisite support to win a majority of House votes needed to take power, particularly with the Republican conference so fractured.

Paul says the eight Republicans who pushed McCarthy out made some “valid” points.

“Part of the problem is, some of the complaints are pretty valid. The idea that we should do 12 individual spending bills – the deadline’s September 30th and we haven't done any,” Paul said.

Always the contrarian in today’s GOP, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) refused to comment on Jordan’s speaker bid, though he was quick to mock his fellow Republicans who are tossing Trump’s name in the ring.

“I’m not planning on weighing in on the speaker’s contest or making any comments on the individuals being considered,” Romney told Raw Story, before adding a quip. “I think it would be curious to have Donald Trump assume the speakership. Why not be both president and speaker of the House? And maybe he could appoint himself as vice president and have the trifecta!”

Speaker Trump, really?

“The only candidate for Speaker I am currently supporting is President Donald J. Trump,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) wrote on X Tuesday. “He has a proven 4 year record as President of the United States of America.”

It’s not just MTG on social media. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) sent out a statement vowing to toss Trump’s name in the ring once the House is back in session.

“This week, when the U.S. House of Representatives reconvenes, my first order of business will be to nominate Donald J. Trump for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives,” Nehls said in a statement. “President Trump, the greatest President of my lifetime, has a proven record of putting America First and will make the House great again.”

The former president initially seemed to throw lukewarm water on the idea when asked about it outside his fraud trial in Manhattan today.

“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,” Trumptold reporters in New York.

[POT EMBED: Trump video asking if he’d want o be speaker -https://youtu.be/yWiOMCMbpJw?si=BsAjh63009HdKXPg ]

Mere hours later on Truth Social, Trump shared a meme of himself holding a gavel in the House chamber while donning a MAGA hat.

House Republicans seem to need a refresher on their own party’s rules pertaining to people under indictment serving in House leadership.

Rule 26 of theHouse Republican Conference Rules would seemingly disqualify Trump – who’s been indicted on 91 counts across two federal and two state criminal cases – from becoming speaker.

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,”House GOP rules read.