Tom Emmer drops out of speaker's race, hours after being nominated | CNN Politics
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House Republicans are once again scrambling for a path forward after Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer dropped his bid for speaker Tuesday just hours after winning his party’s nomination.

The House GOP picked Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest speaker nominee Tuesday evening, though the Louisiana Republican so far lacks the 217 votes needed to win the gavel – the latest sign that Republicans are still no closer to electing a new speaker three weeks after Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster.

The vote for Johnson came at the end of a tumultuous day that began when Republicans voted to elect Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer as speaker nominee only for Emmer drop out just hours later amid stiff resistance from the right flank of the conference and a major rebuke from former President Donald Trump.

In the final round of secret-ballot voting, Johnson was elected speaker nominee with 128 votes. McCarthy received 43 votes, the next highest tally, and some House Republicans are blaming the California Republican for undercutting Johnson’s ascent. Ahead of Tuesday night’s votes, some members raised the idea of a McCarthy tag team with Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan to solve the speakership stalemate – with McCarthy returning as speaker and then making Jordan his “assistant speaker,” sources told CNN.

  • fiat_lux@kbin.social
    181·
    8 months ago

    This really is all it takes to destabilize the entire Republican party. Remove one from power and the rest will take each other out in the fight to claim power. They really cannot control their selfish impulses long enough to collaborate strategically on anything.

    No violence necessary, all the backstabbing is left to metaphor.

    • nomad
      3·
      8 months ago

      You might not believe me, but this selfishness of all politicians gives rise to the checks and balances. Nobody can force any single issue alone. It sucks, but its a feature.

      • RaincoatsGeorge@lemmy.zipEnglish
        21·
        8 months ago

        That might be valid if we were still dealing with the politics of yesteryear where the assumption was that politicians would compromise and vote for their constituents best interests and not simply their political party no matter what.

        The fatal flaw of the founding fathers was that they assumed men would continue to have a conscience and morality. They felt that perhaps one or two bad apples might find their way into political positions, but couldn’t fathom an entire party of them.

        When you have a party of traitors working to undermine democracy, you no longer are able to function as intended.