According to a report from The Daily Beast, Republicans in the House are already maneuvering to secure their positions in the leadership hierarchy should they take control of the chamber in November and there are serious concerns that an "ugly" war is about to break out.
At the center of it all will be the fight for the number three spot, Majority Whip, with current Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) expected to become House Majority Leader and Rep. Kevin McCarthy ascending to House Speaker -- providing Donald Trump doesn't become involved and "f*ck with Kevin," as one GOP operative put it.
As for the Whip spot, Reps. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Tom Emmer (R-MN) are both vying for the position and that is where Don Trump Jr. comes in.
As the Beast's Jake Lahut and Jose Pagliery wrote, Don Jr. is standing on the sidelines for the moment but will likely step in to make sure whoever wins the spot is a Trump loyalist through and through.
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"Banks has been working Trumpworld hard—particularly Don Jr.’s orbit—but another wrinkle in his campaign against Emmer is that Emmer isn’t his only competition. Rep. Drew Ferguson of Georgia is also eying the position, and if he could cobble together a solid voting bloc, he may be able to tip the scales, one way or the other, if he were offered a consolation prize like chief deputy whip," the report states before adding, "Banks’ supposed ace up his sleeve is an NRCC fundraising email that was 'flying around Save America,' a Trump operative said, referring to Trump’s PAC. The email pitted Trump against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a supposed poll. 'According to a new Florida poll, Governor Ron DeSantis is LEADING President Donald Trump 48% to 40% in a hypothetical presidential primary matchup,' the now infamous email read."
According to a member of the Trumpworld inner circle, Don Jr is watching what happens.
“Don Jr. has privately made clear to friends that he’s a big fan of Banks and wants to see him as the next whip. He had planned to stay quiet about it, but every time he sees Team Emmer attacking Banks in the press, it makes it more and more likely that he wages war in a very public manner,” they explained.
"Pleasantries aside, the race could turn ugly quick. And handicapping the race before the election could be a fool’s errand," the report continued. "If Republicans have a huge Election Night, many GOP lawmakers may believe they have to find a place for Emmer."
As one Trump insider put it, "McCarthy has made it clear that he's sticking with Trump and the MAGA movement for the long term. Banks is the obvious choice for anyone who’s looking toward the future of the GOP, and not the past.”
You can read more here.
