Tom Emmer drops out of race for Speaker of the House
On September 27, 2023, m Emmer communicates with journalists at the United States Capitol in Washington, DC.
House Republicans are once again struggling to determine their next steps after Representative Tom Emmer withdrew his bid for speaker, just hours after winning his party's nomination. This development highlights the ongoing challenge for Republicans in electing a new speaker, even three weeks after Kevin McCarthy was removed from the position. As a result, Republicans are now preparing for another forum to discuss potential speaker candidates. Following Emmer's withdrawal,
there are currently six candidates in the running.
The House remains in a state of paralysis, with deep divisions within the Republican ranks preventing the conference from uniting around a successor to McCarthy. The situation has created uncertainty as to whether any Republican can secure the 217 votes needed to become the new speaker.
Emmer is now the third Republican to withdraw from the race after winning
the party nomination. His withdrawal came after facing opposition from the right-wing members of his conference and receiving criticism from former President Donald Trump. Trump's team also contacted GOP members to urge them to oppose Emmer's candidac
In spite of a friendly phone conversation with the ex-president during the weekend, Trump shared criticisms against the House GOP whip again on Truth Social on Monday night. He later launched his own criticism after Emmer's nomination.
After a GOP conference meeting on Monday night, Emmer expressed to CNN that he and Trump have a positive rapport.
After
Emmer dropped out
of the competition, Republican representative Steve Womack expressed concern about the Republican Party facing a deadlock. He also admitted uncertainty about their ability to overcome their internal disagreements and find a suitable speaker.
"At this moment, I believe it is clear to the American public that the GOP conference is heavily fragmented. Is there a possibility for resolution? One should never dismiss it entirely. However, the indications currently point towards this conference facing an obstacle of some sort."
This story and headline have been modified to include more recent updates.
