Trump reverses course, won’t travel to DC ahead of House speaker election

Former President Donald Trump has decided against visiting Washington, D.C., on Tuesday as House Republicans meet prior to holding a vote for a new speaker.

Last week, Trump was considering making the trip to the nation’s capital following a contentious vote to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) spearheaded the historic motion to vacate, which garnered the support of eight Republican defectors who voted with House Democrats to pass it. The vote has left the House without a speaker at a critical time when appropriations must be decided on and passed and U.S. ally Israel has been attacked and is at war.

Trump’s Capitol visit was being floated as several Republican representatives were suggesting him as the new speaker. However, the former president ultimately endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) in his bid for the speakership, ending most calls for him to take on the role.

Amid reports of Trump’s possible visit, he wrote on Truth Social that he “will do whatever is necessary to help with the Speaker of the House selection process, short term, until the final selection of a GREAT REPUBLICAN SPEAKER is made.”

However, a source familiar confirmed Monday that Trump is no longer planning to visit the Capitol on Tuesday, when the Republican conference is set to have a candidate forum. On Monday evening, the conference is holding a closed-door, members-only discussion regarding the speaker race. Phones are not allowed, according to a report, and members will not be allowed to have staff accompany them.

An internal election among the conference will take place Wednesday morning, ahead of an expected vote among the entire House.

It is unknown what prompted Trump to decide against his visit to the Capitol.

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The speaker’s race is currently between Jordan and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). Jordan previously endorsed Trump before the former president returned the favor. Scalise, on the other hand, has yet to endorse a candidate for president in 2024, despite leaving the door open for a Trump endorsement.

Both Jordan and Scalise have racked up several endorsements from Republican members, with Jordan gaining traction among hard-line Republicans and Scalise retaining the favor of establishment-type members. Jordan has more endorsements so far than his opponent.