Trump is inserting himself into the messy race to become the next House speaker

Donald Trump is again testing the power of his endorsement.
With an early morning social media post on Friday, Trump inserted himself into the chaotic race to replace Kevin McCarthy as House speaker by backing Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan for the post. The move was the latest example of Trump attempting to flex his influence within a Republican Party he has already fundamentally reshaped in the eight years since his first White House bid.
“I think he does well. I hope he does well,” Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination, said of Jordan in a Friday interview with Real America’s Voice. “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.”
With Trump’s firm grip on the GOP base, his endorsement can effectively clear the field in many congressional primaries. But the speaker’s race is more complex, an intraparty fight that will play out in secret at points and in a tense environment with many Republicans furious about McCarthy’s ouster. Jordan is facing at least one other candidate – House Majority Leader – who is also on good terms with Trump. It’s unclear whether anyone has enough votes to win the gavel and if Jordan were to lose, another Trump ally could emerge.