OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Rep. Matt Gaetz has suggested in the past that former President Donald Trump should become Speaker of the House, and the Florida Republican is renewing his appeal.
Gaetz said this week he has pitched Trump again on the idea should the GOP manage to regain control of the chamber during the November midterms, according to a Wednesday report from Newsweek.
The “Firebrand” author “who has touted the far-fetched prospect of the former president becoming the next leader of the House since last summer, told Sebastian Gorka’s America’s First show that he has once more discussed the possibility with Trump,” the magazine reported.
“I just think America deserves that moment when Nancy Pelosi hands Donald Trump the gavel,” the GOP lawmaker said.
“I told him you don’t even have to be Speaker for the whole day,” Gaetz said. “You could do it for like three or four hours, give us a great speech, make a few structural reforms to the institution and then you could resign and we could have another election for Speaker.”
Gaetz said he mentioned the idea again to Trump the evening before he appeared on Gorka’s program, but added, “I don’t know if I’ve fully got him to swallow the hook.”
Under the Constitution, the Speaker does not have to be a sitting member of Congress. Only one vote is needed to nominate someone to the position.
Newsweek adds:
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who appeared on Gorka’s show alongside Gaetz, said that her choice for the next speaker if the GOP regains control of the House has to be someone “willing to fight for things that matter,” such as conservatives like herself and Trump getting banned from social media.
“I want to see a person that’s willing to step up to the plate and be the type of Speaker that will actually take action in defense of conservatives across America that have been censored and banned and had their accounts taken away,” Greene, a freshman Republican from Georgia, said.
Gaetz said he previously broached the subject of Speaker with Trump in December.
In an interview at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest convention, Gaetz spoke about the 2022 midterm elections and Republicans having a strong chance to regain control of the U.S. House.
While speaking with Jordan Conradson, Gaetz spoke about the idea of Trump becoming the next House Speaker and how Republicans could make that happen given Trump is a private citizen.
Conradson: We will take back the house in 2022. Do you support President Trump for speaker of the house in 2022?
Gaetz: I was the first member of Congress to pledge that I will nominate Donald J Trump for Speaker of the House and people like to laugh but you know what? They laughed at the idea of him becoming president too. And that happened. So speaker Trump’s got a pretty good ring to it to me.
Conradson: So have you spoken to President Trump, possibly Speaker Trump about his plans for 2022?
Gaetz: I have. What I can tell you is that President Trump is dialed into races at a granular level. He’s following the fundraising, the polling, and the messaging. He is as tuned in as I’ve ever seen him and I think that’s a good thing for the politics of the right that’s right.
Earlier in the month, Gaetz said that he spoke to Trump about becoming Speaker of the House if Republicans win back the majority this year.
“Do you want ex-President Trump to be the speaker?” a reporter asked the representative.
“I would,” he responded.
“Have you talked to him about it?” the reporter pressed.
“I keep my conversations with the former president between the two of us,” Gaetz added.
