House Majority Whip Tom Emmer has withdrawn his candidacy for Speaker of the House.
Emmer secured the GOP nomination for House Speaker early Tuesday defeating runner-up Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson with a vote of 117-97.
The Majority Whip was the third House Republican to secure the GOP nomination for Speaker behind House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan.
The Republican Conference will now resume their search for a new Speaker-Designate.
🚨 BREAKING: Tom Emmer has dropped out of the Speaker race just hours after winning the GOP conference nomination
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 24, 2023
Shortly after Emmer’s nomination, former President Donald Trump took aim at the Majority Whip in a Truth Social post.
“I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great warriors,” Trump wrote. “RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them.”
BREAKING: President Trump just issued a SCATHING statement about Tom Emmer and everyone in the @HouseGOP who voted for him to be Speaker today.
Trump said, “Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake.”
This comes after President Trump reposted a… https://t.co/oNnr8AUE41 pic.twitter.com/zXGFA3ZzZ9
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) October 24, 2023
Trump said Emmer was “totally out of touch” with Republican voters and criticized Emmer’s alleged support for the former President.
Investigative journalist Laura Loomer, an ardent Trump supporter and outspoken critic of Emmer, shared a message from the former President saying, “He’s done!” in reference to Emmer.
“Laura — He’s Done!” — President Trump on @GOPMajorityWhip Tom Emmer, the RINO, Trump hating Soros plant who wants to be Speaker of the House. #Trump2024 #MAGA pic.twitter.com/yKwUUaCSKd
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) October 24, 2023
On Monday, Loomer shared a video of Emmer which shows the Majority Whip expressing support for overhauling federal elections by abolishing the electoral college.
“This is why they want Tom Emmer to be Speaker of the House,” Loomer wrote.
Trump shared Loomer’s report to Truth Social shortly after.
JUST IN: President @realDonaldTrump just Reposted this video expose of Tom Emmer I posted today, along with my entire post slamming Emmer and McCarthy, WORD FOR WORD on Truth Social.
Trump knows what a snake @SpeakerMcCarthy is & he knows how bad @GOPMajorityWhip Tom Emmer is. https://t.co/YUQpGWKNL5 pic.twitter.com/HktWmzbUr4
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) October 24, 2023
“NEVER TRUMPER and COMMUNIST ENABLER Tom Emmer must never be Speaker of the House!” Loomer added.
The House has not had an official Speaker since California Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the office earlier this month. McCarthy is the first Speaker in U.S. history to be removed.
North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry assumed Speaker Pro Tem after McCarthy’s ousting, though his powers as the temporary Speaker are limited and the House is unable to move legislation.
Along with Emmer, eight other House Republicans were in the running for Speakership including Johnson, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, Gary Palmer of Alabama, Austin Scott of Georgia, Pete Sessions of Texas, and Byron Donalds of Florida.
Prior to Emmer’s nomination, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise had secured the GOP nomination, though withdrew his candidacy after he was unable to secure a majority 217 votes to assume Speakership. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan was later selected as the GOP nominee for Speaker, though was unable to secure 217 votes in Congress across three ballots held last week.
Jordan was removed as the GOP nominee on Friday after the Republican Conference held a secret ballot.
It is unclear which previous candidates for Speaker will remain in the race.
