Trump calls on Republicans to back McCarthy for House Speaker – Liberation

Will the US Congress have a new speaker on Wednesday? Not sure at all, so Tuesday’s first ballot to elect a new speaker to the House of Representatives was chaotic. Big favorite to replace Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the fifty-year-old Republican Kevin McCarthy had failed after three successive votes to calm the revolt emanating from a group of Trumpists who consider this elected representative from California too moderate. The election of the “speaker”, the third most important figure in American politics after the president and the vice-president, requires a majority of 218 votes. During the first three rounds on Tuesday, Kevin McCarthy failed to exceed 203. The elected officials agreed to suspend their votes while negotiating behind the scenes.

While the House is due to resume voting on Wednesday at midday (5 p.m. French time), McCarthy can count on the support of Donald Trump himself. On his Truth social network, the former President of the United States clearly called on Wednesday elected Republicans located on the ultra right and claiming his leadership, to support McCarthy’s candidacy for the post of Speaker of the American House of representatives. “Now is the time for our great elected Republicans in the House to vote for Kevin”a enjoint Donald Trump. “Very fruitful discussions took place last night [mardi]and now is the time for all of our GREAT members of the Republican House to VOTE FOR KEVIN”continued Trump, while pleading with his party’s rebels not to “to turn a great triumph into a giant and embarrassing defeat”. The billionaire added: “Kevin McCarthy will do a great job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – YOU WILL SEE!”

A rare public support from him. The day before, the septuagenarian had criticized a «agitation superflue» within a party for which he wishes to obtain the nomination in order to reconquer the White House in 2024. It remains to be seen what weight this appeal will have in the decision of the twenty refractory elected Trumpists opposing his candidacy, judged too centrist.

“Embarrassing” mess

Joe Biden, for his part, was quick to qualify as“embarrassing” the difficulty of elected Republicans to agree to elect the person at the head of Congress. the “rest of the world” observe what is happening in Congress, the Democratic president told the press before a trip to Kentucky, adding that he remained focused in order to “to get results”.

The election of the leader of the House of Representatives could be a matter of a few hours… or of several weeks: in 1856, the elected members of Congress only agreed after two months and 133 votes.