Capitol Power Play: What the Fight to Remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy is Really All About: Relentless Ep. 006

In Episode 6 of the "Relentless Podcast with Kyle Becker," we analyze Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz's impassioned plea for House reform and his pivotal role in removing Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. Listen to the raw, unfiltered debate from the House floor, where Gaetz challenges the establishment, exposes secret deals, and calls for a return to principled, single-issue legislation.

Uncover the real story behind the chaos in Washington, the bipartisan dissatisfaction, and the drive for genuine change. This episode is not just a recount of recent events—it's a critical look at the systemic issues plaguing our government and the fight to restore dignity to American politics.

Segment 1: "This is What the Fight to Remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy is Really All About" (00:00)

The dramatic efforts to dethrone Speaker Kevin McCarthy, revealing the deep ideological battles and power struggles reshaping the GOP and American politics at large.

Segment 2: "The Radical Dems Stage Manufactured Crises for Political Advantage" (11:09)

We examine accusations against the Democratic Party for staging crises to gain political leverage, challenging the norms of democracy and questioning the integrity of their tactics.

Segment 3: "Behind The Gavel: Trump's NY Trial and The Quest for Judicial Equity" (16:09)

Step into the eye of the legal storm that is Trump's NY trial. Analyze the quest for judicial equity in a system fraught with claims of bias and ponder the elusive balance between power and justice.

Segment 4: "Joe Biden Accused of Being Animal Abuser Who 'Punches and Kicks His Dogs'" (18:47)

Uncover the tangled tale of President Biden's dog, Commander, and the alleged misconduct that led to the canine's White House departure. With a FOIA lawsuit underway, we explore the undercurrents of this animal rights and presidential conduct story.

Segment 5: "Unveiling the Wall Construction Controversy" (25:13)

The surprising reversal of President Biden's 2020 campaign promise concerning border wall construction. Listen as we dissect the statements from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that set the press secretary—and perhaps the administration—on the defensive

Segment 6: "Donald Trump: Speaker of the House?" (29:08)

Finally, we delve into the speculation around Donald Trump's potential as the next House Speaker amid the Republican Party's complex legal and political landscape. Listen in as we explore the power moves that could redefine the GOP and set the stage for 2024.

Find Kyle on Twitter at @KyleNABecker for breaking news, analysis, and more.

Visit BeckerNews.com, your destination for stories that cut through the noise.

Join the community at TheKyleBecker.Substack.com for exclusive content and engaging discussions.

Brought to you by Becker News LLC, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone seeking a fresh, independent voice in the media landscape.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome back to the Relentless Podcast with Kyle Becker, where we're relentlessly pursuing the truth about America's biggest stories.

(00:07):
Elmer from Florida.
Mr. Speaker, my friend from Oklahoma says that my colleagues and I who don't support Kevin McCarthy would plunge the house in the country into chaos.
Chaos is speaker McCarthy.
Chaos is somebody who we cannot trust with their word.

(00:30):
The one thing that the White House, House Democrats, and many of us on the conservative side of the Republican caucus would argue is that the thing we have in common,
Kevin McCarthy said something to all of us at one point or another that he didn't really mean and never intended to live up to.
I don't think voting against Kevin McCarthy is chaos. I think 33 trillion in debt is chaos. I think that facing a $2.2 trillion annual deficit is chaos.

(00:59):
I think that not passing single subject spending bills is chaos. I think the fact that we have been governed in this country since the mid 90s by continuing resolution and omnibus is chaos.
And the way to liberate ourselves from that is a series of reforms to this body that I would hope would outlast speaker McCarthy's time here, would outlast my time here, and would outlast either of our majorities.

(01:23):
Reforms that I have heard some of the most conservative members of this body fight for and some of the --
Welcome back to the relentless podcast with Kyle Becker.
That was Florida Congressman Matt Gates on the floor of the House of Representatives defending his move to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
And he was successful. America now has no speaker. Kevin McCarthy is ousted at least for now.

(01:49):
After taunting Matt Gates and telling him to bring it on, it looks like it's been brung.
Now, the uniparty is disrupted while the government ironically goes into a shutdown and the establishment Republicans are going into a meltdown.
We have to realize that this fight crosses party lines. It's not just a battle between Republicans or one between the GOP and the radical Democratic party.

(02:16):
It's increasingly a uniparty problem. So while mainstream media may portray this as a meaningless attempt to so-k-os in Washington, D.C.,
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted for several good reasons if you listen to Florida Congressman Matt Gates and his rationale for bringing this motion to the floor.
To be clear, I tried to get one of the three podiums on the Republican side and y'all wouldn't let me have them. So he sent me over here. But you know what? I'll make this argument at any desk in this building from the well, from the chair.

(02:48):
I'll make it on every street corner in this country that Washington must change.
We have to break the cycle. We have to break the fever. And I would hope truly that the reforms that we are fighting for are reforms that would last and be embraced and that would democratize power in this institution
beyond the privileged few who back us up against shutdown politics and and Christmases and deadlines in order to achieve their objectives.

(03:13):
Mr. Speaker, high inflation is on the verge of bankrupting American families. Our economy is breaking in half. A typical American family can't afford to buy a house in 99% of U.S. counties.
Inflation is stealing more than $700 a month from working Americans, nearly $9,000 a year. Kevin McCarthy is the speaker of the House of Representatives and he has failed to take a stand where it matters.

(03:41):
So if he won't, I will. I make no apologies for defending the right of every hard working American to afford a decent life for themselves and their families. And we have a greater opportunity to do that and to build coalitions under new leadership.
We have to rip off the bandaid. We have to get back on a better course. And Mr. Speaker, I don't know how this vote is going to go. Usually when a vote comes to this floor, it's pretty predetermined.

(04:07):
And this one, I'm not so sure. But I am sure that we've made the right argument that this place deserves single subject spending bills, that we should have 72 hours to read a bill, that something that spends more than $100 million, shouldn't be put on the suspension agenda such that we can't amend it.
So we shouldn't be secret side deals made on a continuing resolution to lump Ukraine in with border security. That is not right for Ukraine or border security because it fails to give either of those issues the dignity that they would require.

(04:43):
But we can return that dignity to this house. We can get back on a better path. We can have single subject appropriations bills. We can set a budget, a budget top line.
We can have a budget in this place since I was in high school. So let's get a budget. Let's get our act together. Let's get on with it. Let's vacate the chair. Let's get a better speaker. Now you'll back.
Gates had earlier called McCarthy out for reported backroom deal. He cut with Batmite and the Democrats to pass a continuing resolution on spending and avoid a government shutdown.

(05:12):
I rise to raise a question. What was the secret side deal on Ukraine? House Democrats and President Biden have said that as Speaker McCarthy was asking Republicans to vote for a continuing resolution so as to avoid having to take the Senate's plus up in Ukraine money.

(05:34):
That the Speaker of the House was actually cutting a side deal to bring Ukraine legislation to this floor with President Biden and House Democrats.
So let me get this straight. To extend Joe Biden spending and Joe Biden's policy priorities.

(05:55):
The Speaker of the House gave away to Joe Biden the money for Ukraine that Joe Biden wanted.
It is going to be difficult for my Republican friends to keep calling President Biden feeble while he continues to take Speaker McCarthy's lunch money and every negotiation.

(06:17):
But while Gates has been complaining about the uniparty, several prominent Republicans came to McCarthy's defense. House majority leader Steve Scalise memorably called on his fellow Republicans and radical Democrats across the aisle to unite to get things done for regular working class Americans.
This has been a broken process for a long time. But it's a process where we, if we're going to confront the problems that families are facing because right now we need to resolve our differences inside this House chamber.

(06:48):
Before we can then go and fight for those families who are struggling but every single day across America families are struggling with real problems that we're going to have to get back to solving.
And those problems are real for them. It's inflation. It's the economy. It's high energy costs. It's an open southern border that doesn't just affect the border states.

(07:09):
It's affecting every state, Republican districts, Democrat districts. Everybody knows it. And it can be ignored by the White House. But this House is the only body that started to take action.
But while mainstream media, including Fox News, portrayed Gates as a renegade with a personal vendetta against McCarthy, if you listen to what he says he makes some damn good points.

(07:32):
To be reverting to the very unfortunate muscle memory of Washington DC that has put our nation atop a $33 trillion debt that has led to $2 trillion annual deficits in our near future and the rapid global eat dollarization of the economy.
When you look at the BRICS system, you know, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, they're moving away from the dollar. And just in August they added six new countries, including G20 economies in the Western hemisphere and Gulf monarchies.

(08:03):
But moreover, you saw US News say that the number one economic trend of 2023 is de-dollarization globally. This worries me. You all get all worked up that there's going to be some uncomfortable chaotic moment that I'll feel pressure from conservatives or Democrats or whomever.
I feel the judgment of history. I feel the weight of that. I worry that when the history books are written about this country going down that my name is going to be on the board of directors here. And if this country is going down and if we're losing the dollar, I am going down fighting.

(08:35):
And I don't care if that means fighting Republicans, Democrats, the uniparty, the leadership, the Pax, the lobbyists. I've had it. I've been here seven years. We don't have a budget.
We haven't had one since the mid 90s. I am through with it. I apologize for using that word, but the only path forward here is to have single subject spending bills that can be reviewed, amended, considered.

(08:59):
And I think that is the responsible way that our legislatures all over this country operate for good reason.
While Washington DC does not appreciate firebrands like Gates kicking a hornet's nest, many Americans upset with the status quo and the swamp get it.
Political pundit Gunther Eagleman rattled off some of the alleged broken promises by Kevin McCarthy.

(09:23):
This is what he said, sold us out on the debt ceiling, refuses to hold anyone accountable, hasn't held J6 political prisoners, sends our tax money to Ukraine,
lied to us about repealing 87,000 IRS agents on day one. Still hasn't released the J6 video to the public, protects the Biden-Crying family, has made secret deals with Democrats.

(09:47):
Speaker McCarthy is a failure, he said.
Washington is broken like Gates said. Will his motion to vacate the speaker fix it? Probably not. But it's sense of message that these are people who are seriously objecting to the establishment's machinations and represent real opposition and not fake opposition.

(10:08):
So that's why Democrats joined the radical Republicans in removing McCarthy as speaker because they are opposed to even moderate Republicans who are trying to be rational and sensible and working on behalf of the American people.
They just want power and you don't need to unite with corrupt, power hungry, radical Democrats, you need to oppose their destructive agenda.

(10:33):
So you use their own theatrics against them. Whatever tricks you've got in your playbook now is the time to try anything because what the GOP has been doing has not been working.
The Democrats, after all, long ago, gave up trying to be reasonable. They used juvenile and ridiculous tactics to get their way.
It's like that scene from Batman, where Michael Keaton gets fed up with the Joker's hijinks and delivers that famous line.

(11:00):
And then he had his...
The Democrats, frankly, have been nuts for a long time.
So that brings us to the question, are Democrats allowed to yell fire in a crowded building?
Well, if your name is Jamal Bowman, a former middle school principal who somehow became an elected leader, you're certainly allowed to pull fire alarms to suspend votes.

(11:27):
Or that's the takeaway that we can gather from this week's ridiculous episode, when Bowman pulled a fire alarm, claimed it was a whoopsy, and then allegedly tried to make it back to a vote. Or so he claimed.
Do you still see how I'm saving that? When the fire alarm was announced?
You know, I don't know why this guy is so much attention. I was literally just in a rush to go vote, man. That's all it was.

(11:52):
Are you afraid of any repercussion due to the firm leadership or from legal even? I mean, listen, I take responsibility for what I did, you know, but like I said, I was in a rush to go vote, and you know, in recognition we saw everything else out.
Have you talked to Jeffries about it?
Oh, yeah, of course, that's the thing. How is that conversation?
I got kicked out between me and the leaders. I'm not going to share that publicly here. We've been in such a really strong room.

(12:15):
Right.
The Marjorie Taylor Green exposed why Bowman is a liar liar with his pants on fire.
Hi, everyone. We're at the infamous door. We're Jamal Bowman claims he had to pull a fire alarm to get out.
Now, these doors are open on weekdays. Every member of Congress says that everybody that works here knows that, but on Saturdays and Sundays, they are walked and only certain doors are open on Saturdays and Sundays.

(12:42):
Now, come on over here. This right here is a fire alarm. No, where does it say pull the fire alarm to open the exit door?
Doesn't say that. And I think X middle school principals know better.
So let's explain very clearly again. Jamal Bowman didn't pull the fire alarm to try to get out of the building because he had your rush to go vote.

(13:06):
I know that for a fact, because I also work in the Canon office building. And I watched Catherine Clark, the Democrat whip make a motion to adjourn.
And then within minutes, Jamal Bowman pulled a fire alarm and he knew he was pulling a fire alarm because he's a former middle school principal.
And then he ran out of the building and didn't tell anybody he did that.

(13:29):
The building was evacuated for over an hour and Congress had to hold the vote open that's usually only 15 minutes on the first vote. They held it open for over an hour as well.
There's some serious problems for Jamal Bowman and he needs to be prosecuted for violating the same federal law that they are prosecuting January 6th defendants and President Trump.

(13:53):
Medical Democrats will never betray one of their own, even if they look foolish in the eyes of Americans. AOC, who somehow survived the J6 riots by hiding under her desk despite a scary Capitol police officer coming to protect her, wasn't triggered by the evacuation.
No, she believes Bowman because if a Democrat says it, she'll believe anything.

(14:16):
He says it was an accident. He thought pulling the alarm would open a door based on the fact that the doors to his right there were locked and there was a sign that he said he was, I think someone said it was confusing.
I'll be honest, it doesn't really make sense to me, his explanation. Have you talked to him? What's going on?
I mean, listen, I think if you actually do see some of the photos of the signs, I think there's something to be said about the government is about to shut down. There's a vote clock that's going down. The exits that are normally open in that building were suddenly closed.

(14:49):
He pulled the fire alarm.
What I'm here to say is that House Administration and US Capitol Police and Jawab Bowman are an active and he's fully participating in saying there was a misunderstanding.
But what I do think is important to raise is the fact that Republicans, representatives like Nicole Malliotakis and others, immediately moved to file motions to censure, motions to expel.

(15:15):
Before there has even been conversations that are that are finished to even see if there was a misunderstanding here.
But here are some more reasons why Bowman is certainly lying. Take a look at this photo. What is that in his hand? It's not 100% clear, but it looks flat and white. Could it be one of those signs that say emergency exit?

(15:39):
And what about this fire alarm? It has a two-step process to pull it. It's not like activating a handicapped accessible door. That's a shiny push button circle.
And a former middle school principal would know that.
So the Democrats are literally willing to stage an emergency. The equivalent of yelling fire in a crowded theater in order to buy an hour of time on a vote.

(16:02):
Pathetic.
That is how much respect they have for the people's house. That's how much the Democrats care about democracy.
Or how about the ongoing Trump civil case in New York and the radical prosecutor, Latisha James, and the goofy judge Arthur Engoron?
He smiled at the camera after previously banning cameras in the courtroom. This was just like the Fulton County hearing when a judge laughed and joked around after the Trump-Rico indictment.

(16:33):
All right. Thanks, Sherry. Good luck the rest of the evening.
You bet.
Is it? Is it all you hope to be?
Can you tell what it says?
I do. I do get a good look.

(16:55):
So you all need to leave. I mean, a light way and nicely you've had a long day, but these folks can't go until you all go.
I know we had talked about leaving the equipment here. Don't leave the equipment here because you're not going to want to be here tomorrow.
We're welcome to be here. We don't have a rule 22 for what's going on in the world. It's just a good old trust.

(17:20):
No wonder Trump after his court appearance called a fraudulent trial.
I don't have today. This is probably what they read. It's a violation of the theory in Maryland.
And as we have to expose it as that, you see what's going on. It's a real deal.

(17:43):
But frankly, right. This is just put out about human and the principal clerk. That is just a story.
Speaker McCarthy, 50 stay.
We will go to vacate him this afternoon.
This is election interference right in front of our very eyes and Democrats are laughing and joking about it.

(18:09):
They know justice is an illusion in this country. And there's no equal justice under the law, contrary to the incredible statements of Latisha James or others who claim that no one is above the law.
What about Hillary Clinton? What about the Russia hoax polluters? What about the Black Lives Matter rioters? What about Joe Biden?

(18:31):
The Democrats want no part of accountability for the sitting president of the United States. They don't even want an inquiry into the very real evidence that shows Joe Biden is compromised by foreign powers.
So how many of them are compromised themselves? That's the $120 billion question.
Commander, the dog of the president of the United States, Joe Biden has been relocated from the White House to the dog house.

(19:00):
A spokesperson for First Lady Jill Biden stated that Commander was relocated after injuring White House staff and US Secret Service Officers nearly eight dozen times in the past year.
Commander, a two-year-old German shepherd attacked a Secret Service agent for the 11th time since he arrived at the White House as a puppy in 2021.

(19:23):
The dog was removed just days after this latest incident.
Quote, the president and First Lady cared deeply about the safety of those who work at the White House and those who protect them every day.
The first ladies communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said in a statement, "They remain grateful for the patience and support of the US Secret Service and all involved as they continue to work through solutions."

(19:50):
The statement did not specify where the dog was being sent or if he was anticipated to return.
It simply stated, "Commander is not currently on the White House campus as the next steps are evaluated."
Now arises a report based on legal watchdog Judicial Watch's sources that Joe Biden mistreats his dogs.

(20:13):
What a shock.
According to Judicial Watch sources, "President Biden has mistreated his dogs."
Now Judicial Watch has learned he has punched and kicked his dogs, the report added.
Judicial Watch announced on Thursday that it is seeking a Freedom of Information Act or FOIA lawsuit against the US Secret Service for records regarding incidents of aggression and bites involving President Joe Biden's dog, Commander.

(20:41):
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
After the Secret Service, part of the Department of Homeland Security, failed to respond to a July 31st 2023 request.
For all records involving the "Biden Family Dog" Commander, including, but not limited to, communications to and from Secret Service officials in the uniformed and non-uniformed divisions involved with White House operations and the Presidential Protection Division.

(21:11):
Commander, a purebred German shepherd, replaced another German shepherd, Major, who was reportedly "given to family friends," unquote, after a succession of attacks on Secret Service in White House personnel.
Commander was acquired in December 2021.
In April 2022, Judicial Watch released documents detailing multiple assaults and damages to Secret Service agents by Major at the White House and Biden's Lake Residence in Wilmington, Delaware.

(21:41):
In July, Judicial Watch unearthed records from the United States Department of Homeland Security or DHS in a related lawsuit disclosing 10 attacks by Biden's German shepherd, Commander, on Secret Service officers between October 2022 and January 2023.
In multiple instances, the agents required medical care, including hospitalization.

(22:06):
The records included in November 5, 2022, email exchange between a uniformed division officer and the November 3, attack victim.
The first officer asked, quote, "doing all right?" and redacted, "That's freaking crazy. That's stupid dog, rolling my eyes," redacted.
The victim replied, quote, "My leg and arm still hurts. He bit me twice and ran at me twice," unquote.

(22:34):
The colleague replied, quote, "What a joke," redacted. If it wasn't their dog, he would already have been put down.
"Freaking clown needs a muzzle. Hope you get the feeling better," redacted, unquote.
According to a Judicial Watch source, President Biden has mistreated his dogs and it has learned he punched and kicked his dogs, quote, "It is beyond belief that even after Judicial Watch had exposed their attacking 10 Secret Service personnel, Joe and Jill Biden have continued to let their dog menace and attack Secret Service in White House staff.

(23:10):
Let's be blunt. The dangerous dog could kill someone," unquote, said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, adding, quote, "The ongoing Biden administration cover-up of the Biden dog attacks on Secret Service agents is dangerous," corruption, unquote.
Commander Agiff from President Biden's brother and sister-in-law joined the first couple in the White House in December 2021 after they lost or re-homed two German shepherds that year, major, then three, who was sent to live with friends of the Biden's after he bit two people in the space of a month,

(23:44):
and champ bought shortly after Biden became Vice President in 2008, died at age 13.
As you might recall, Biden claimed on the campaign trail that he broke his foot, tripping on a rug after a shower as he chased his dog major and grabbed its tail.
Biden's campaign previously explained the hairline fracture by saying Biden fell while playing with the dog, but did not mention the shower or tugging on the animal's tail.

(24:10):
Quote, "What happened was I got out of the shower. I got a dog and anybody who's been around my house knows dropped a ball in front of me and for me to grab the ball," Biden told CNN journalist Jake Tapper in his first post-election joint interview.
Quote, "And I'm walking through this little alleyway to get to the bedroom and I grabbed the ball like this and he ran and I'm joking, running after him and grabbing its tail. What happened was that he slid on a throw rug and I tripped on the rug, he slid on. That's what happened. Oh man, not a very exciting story," unquote.

(24:54):
What it is is a very bizarre story. I'm waiting to hear from Pita about this. They were all over the Fauci puppy torturer story. So we will see if they have anything to say about President Joe Biden, reportedly beating and punching his dogs. If what we can gather from the way his children turned out, Biden looks like he may be a serial abuser.

(25:16):
Does KGP know what's going on in the press?
After all, she is the press secretary. On Thursday, she appeared to be caught off guard by reports that DHS Secretary Alejandro, Mayorkas, has authorized Border Patrol and Engineers to build the wall.
Border walls in effect of why is the Homeland Security Secretary saying that it's necessary to prevent unwaffled entries into the United States?

(25:43):
I've not seen that full statement. I know I hear you. I'm just saying I've not seen his full statement on that. What I can speak to is for the President. The President has been very clear that he doesn't believe it's effective. He answered that question of your colleague. That's what I can speak to. That's what we're going to talk about. And we've actually said there are smarter ways and more effective ways in dealing with this.

(26:06):
But DHS, Mayorkas, angered numerous environmentalist groups by authorizing the wall's construction because he waived 26 laws, including environmentalist laws, to build this fence.
That's because the southern border is not just teaming with illegal aliens. It's also home to Osolots and Jaguar and D.

(26:28):
Apparently, that's a reason the US should not have a border. As for DHS Secretary Mayorkas, this is what the beleaguered Homeland Secretary had to say for himself.
Quote, "There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unwaffled entries into the United States in the project areas."

(26:52):
Quote, "In order to ensure the expeditious construction of the barriers and roads in the project areas, I have determined that it is necessary that I exercise the authority that is vested in me by Section 102C of the IIRRA."
Now, the Illegal Immigration Reform Act in the Immigration Responsibility Act provides a Homeland Security Secretary the power to waive laws when necessary to facilitate border construction.

(27:22):
As reported by Fox News' Bill Malookein, Biden pledged while running for President in 2020, "There will not be another foot of wall construction in my administration."
Quote, "Here's what Joe Biden himself had to say about this in 2020."
"No, there will not be another foot of wall constructed in my administration."

(27:44):
Number one, number two, what I'm going to focus on and the fact is that somebody in this group written a lot about the border.
The Secretary previously declared that he would construct miles of wall, contradicting President Biden's 2020 campaign pledge, that quote, "Not another foot of wall will be constructed."

(28:05):
"Mayorka stated that he will be constrained by congressional spending legislation requiring funds for the construction of a border wall."
The administration procrastinated for years and pleaded with Congress to revoke the funds, but these efforts were unsuccessful, he claimed.
So there you have it, Biden has finally broken and is building the wall.
Is it because Mallorca says feeling the heat and fears for his job?

(28:29):
Or does he want to avoid being impeached for failing to do his constitutional duty by protecting the homeland and preventing millions of illegal immigrants from flooding in?
Whatever the reason, it appears that Trump was right.
And the Biden regime's reversal shows that it's willing to make moves for political optics, but that's when the damage is already been done and the action is coming much too late.

(28:54):
Because what the Trump administration was doing on the border was working and the Biden administration should have just kept the former president's policies in place.
But the American people have a way of rectifying these policy disasters by giving Biden the boot and reinstalling a president who knows what he's doing.
A lot of people have been calling me about a speaker.

(29:15):
All I can say is, "We'll do whatever is best for the country and for the Republican party."
We'll stay there for five people.
We just want to say we have some great, great people.
Would you take the job?
A lot of people would ask me about it.
I'm focused, you know, with leading, I don't know, I'm sure you don't have any too much in the papers.
But leading by like 50 points, the president, you know, my focus is totally on that.

(29:41):
If I can help them during the process, I would do a...
But we have some great people in the Republican party, right?
Donald Trump, the next speaker of the House, that was former president Donald Trump, who was expected to attend a closed candidate forum for House Speaker candidates on Tuesday, according to a new Fox News report.
From colleague Brooke Singhman, Trump expected to attend GOP meeting on Tuesday for closed candidate forum for House Speaker, reported Chad Pergram on X.

(30:09):
Former president Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has been fielding calls about the possibility of becoming the next speaker of the House.
But unfortunately, the legal disputes plaguing the Republican party candidate may keep him on the campaign trail, in a way from Capitol Hill.
Trump, 77, has already been identified as the preferred speaker candidate by at least two House Republicans.

(30:32):
However, a little-known House GOP rule prohibiting those with felony indictments from serving in the role could render him ineligible for the position.
"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."

(30:53):
The Republican conference rules of the 118th Congress State.
Trump faces a total of 91 charges in four separate criminal cases, and if convicted, he faces up to 712 years and six months in prison.
These provisions could be modified to accommodate Speaker Trump, however.

(31:14):
Representatives Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise are the leading candidates to replace Kevin McCarthy, who was voted out of his position as Speaker of the House on Tuesday in an unprecedented move.
The Republicans intend to conduct a candidate forum for Speaker next Tuesday, followed by a possible vote the following day.

(31:36):
For the second time this year, the Gavill of House Speaker is up for grabs, and for the second time, this contest threatens to divide the Republican caucus along ideological lines.
However, with Trump's freedom potentially at peril and a rematch with President Biden in the cards, it appears unlikely that the former President will take the Gavill at this time.

(31:58):
Of course, anything is possible. Strange days are indeed upon us.