Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, responded to a statement by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, regarding the possibility of former President Donald Trump becoming the next Speaker of the House. Greene had posted on Twitter that if Trump became Speaker of the House, it would be like a Trump rally every day in the House chamber, making it the “House of MAGA.”
In response, Schumer humorously replied, “No thanks, we’re good. We’ve seen a Trump rally at the Capitol already.” This comment was a reference to the events of January 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a violent attack.
Some Republican lawmakers had floated the idea of Trump becoming the next Speaker of the House after the ousting of Representative Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. McCarthy faced criticism from some members of his own party for his handling of certain issues, leading to calls for new leadership. While Trump doesn’t have to be a sitting member of the House to become Speaker, traditionally, every Speaker in U.S. history has been a current member of the House.
Several Republican lawmakers had expressed support for the idea of Trump as Speaker, but others within the party had different candidates in mind, such as Representative Jim Jordan and Representative Steve Scalise, who both announced bids for the speakership.