CNN
CNN
House Republicans face another hurdle after Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer withdraws from the speaker race despite winning his party’s nomination.
Republicans remain unable to elect a new speaker even three weeks after Kevin McCarthy’s ousting, with Emmer’s exit further highlighting their struggle.
Following Emmer’s sudden withdrawal, Republicans are now conducting a closed-door vote to select a new nominee from five candidates: Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, Mark Green also of Tennessee, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, and Roger Williams of Texas.
With the House in paralysis and no speaker in place, Republicans face mounting pressure to find a new leader. However, deep divisions within the party continue to hinder their efforts to coalesce around a successor to McCarthy.
The House finds itself navigating uncharted territory as it becomes increasingly uncertain whether any Republican candidate can secure the 217 votes required to win the speakership.
Emmer becomes the third Republican to drop out of the speaker race after winning the party nomination. Previous candidates also failed to secure the necessary votes for the position.
Despite winning the party nomination in a secret ballot election, Emmer faced opposition from the right flank of his conference and received a significant rebuke from former President Donald Trump. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, called Emmer a “Globalist RINO” and warned against voting for him.
Emmer’s voting record, including his support for certifying the 2020 election and his stance on issues such as government funding and same-sex marriage, became key points of contention for hard-right members opposing his candidacy.
Sources reveal that members of Trump’s team actively called GOP members to discourage support for Emmer as speaker.
Despite a cordial phone call between Emmer and the former president, Trump continued posting attacks on Truth Social and publicly criticized Emmer following his nomination.
When asked about his relationship with Trump, Emmer responded, “We have a good relationship,” as he left a GOP conference meeting.
Following Emmer’s withdrawal, Republican Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas expressed concern about the party’s internal differences and their ability to find a speaker.
Womack stated, “Right now, it is apparent to the American people that the GOP conference is hopelessly divided. Can it be overcome? Never say never. But the signs are right now that this conference is at some kind of an impasse.”
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.
