Trump Says GOP Must Become ‘Strong And United’ Heading Into 2024
Former President Donald Trump wants to be president again and help lead the country with a GOP congressional majority, but he sees some danger signs ahead after a handful of Republicans joined with all Democrats last week to oust Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from the speakership, a historic first.
In an interview with Just the News, however, the 45th president outlined a strategy for success moving forward.
“Two words: ‘strong and united,’” Trump told Just the News’ John Solomon during the Association of Mature American Citizens 2024 presidential election town hall series.
“We need stronger people. We have such power and we don’t use it. But the Democrats use that power. And they use it very horribly into weaponization and things that nobody has ever seen outside of a banana republic,” he added.
The former president was referring to what he and others consider the politicization of federal agencies such as the FBI and Justice Department and a so-called “two-tiered system of justice” in which certain people are prosecuted, and others are not, depending on their religious or political affiliation.
Next week, the House is expected to elect a new speaker after California GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted Wednesday from the post by eight ultra-right Republican House members in a full floor vote.
Late last week, Trump threw his support behind House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to become the next speaker; he is running against House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.).
“Jim is a fantastic person,” Trump said. “He’s got a tremendous career. He’s always been tough at what he did.”
“I think he’ll do well,” Trump added about Jordan. “I hope he does well. He’s got competition, as you understand, and they’re friendly with me too …. very nice people and good people. We’ll see what happens.”
Immediately after the House on Tuesday voted to vacate now-former Speaker McCarthy’s seat, a new acting speaker was named: Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), an ally of the California Republican.
“The speaker pro tempore is imbued with all the powers of an elected speaker of the House. McCarthy hand-picked McHenry (R-N.C.) for this role when he was elected speaker in January. The pro tempore is kept as a secret, held by the clerk of the House, until a speaker is removed or incapacitated, a process designed after Sept. 11, 2001, to ensure continuity of government,” Politico reported.
The final vote was 216 to 210 to oust McCarthy; eight Republicans voted with all present Democrats to remove him.
“This is the first time that [the] temporary replacement process has ever been carried out, following a speaker being forced out. As an acting speaker, McHenry is not in the line of succession for the presidency. Just like any acting Cabinet secretary, McHenry would be skipped,” the outlet continued.
McHenry, a trusted confidant of McCarthy, played a crucial role in January as a primary mediator between various House Republican groups, helping secure the necessary votes for McCarthy’s election as Speaker. He also held a central position in McCarthy’s negotiation for a debt limit agreement with President Joe Biden, a move that drew criticism from conservative factions within the GOP conference and contributed to their effort to oust McCarthy from the Speaker’s position, Politico added.
Since 2003, House rules have required the speaker to submit a list of names to the clerk of members to act in the case of his or her vacancy. According to Rule I, clause 8 of the House rules, the next person on that list “shall act as Speaker pro tempore until the election of a Speaker or a Speaker pro tempore.” We now know that’s Patrick McHenry; he’ll take over as speaker in an acting capacity.
This is a different situation than in January, when the House started a new session and could not start any legislative business until a speaker was elected. Because it was the beginning of a new Congress, the House needed to elect a speaker in order to swear in members and pass the rules package.
