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After several rounds of voting failed to elect Representative Kevin McCarthy as House speaker on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump suggested that any fights among the GOP should be centered on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday that if Republicans are going to fight, "we ought to be fighting" McConnell and his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. The former President has repeatedly referred to Chao with a nickname that has been decried as racially insensitive and racist, and did so again in the new post.
"The harm they have done to the Republican Party is incalculable," Trump said of the two.
Though McConnell is also a Republican, Trump has become a frequent and vocal critic of the Kentucky lawmaker. Trump's criticisms of McConnell, for example, have included blaming him for some Republican failures in the midterm elections and blasting him for negotiating with Democrats on a spending bill.
While Republicans were not able to flip control of the Senate in last year's midterm elections, they were able to secure a slim majority in the House. McCarthy served as the House minority leader in the last Democratic-led Congress and has put himself forward to become House speaker in the new 118th Congress.
But when the House convened on Tuesday to vote, McCarthy failed to secure the required majority of votes in three rounds as a minority of GOP House members withheld support.
In another Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump called on Republican House members to back McCarthy for speaker.
"Some really good conversations took place last night, and it's now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA,THE ONLY SPEAKER IN U.S. HISTORY TO HAVE LOST THE 'HOUSE' TWICE!" Trump wrote.
"REPUBLICANS, DO NOT TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT. IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE, YOU DESERVE IT. Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB - JUST WATCH!"
Trump first endorsed McCarthy for speaker last June but did not say if he still supports him during a brief call with NBC News on Tuesday. It remains unclear if Trump's renewed support for McCarthy on Truth Social will help tip the scales in his favor as the House meets again Wednesday afternoon.
Christopher Devine, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Dayton, told Newsweek that if Trump's support was decisive, McCarthy "would have won the speakership."
"The question is whether Trump reiterating his support for McCarthy could turn the tide in subsequent House votes. Let's say this, it gives MAGA Republicans a good bit of cover to stick with McCarthy, at least for a few more votes," Devine said, referencing Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.
"Trump's endorsement signals that this would not be a betrayal of the MAGA movement. In fact, some Republicans might cite this as proof that they're the ones who are really trying to unite the party in order to realize its conservative agenda."
Newsweek reached out to McCarthy and McConnell for comment.
About the writer
Zoe Strozewski is a Newsweek reporter based in New Jersey. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and global politics. Zoe ... Read more