Former US President Trump apparently wants to join his Republicans’ search for the successor to the sacked House of Representatives Chairman McCarthy next week.
Former US President Donald Trump apparently wants to join the Republicans’ search for a new chairman of the House of Representatives next week at the Capitol in Washington.
Trump announced in an interview with Fox News Digital that he would travel to Washington next Tuesday for talks with party representatives. Three people familiar with the plans told the AP news agency that there was also talk of a possible visit by Trump to the Capitol.
One of the sources added that the ex-president would probably take part in an internal party meeting with candidates behind closed doors planned for Tuesday evening (local time). The vote on the new chairman of the House of Representatives could then follow on Wednesday.
Observer: Trump wants to demonstrate control
It would be Trump’s first visit to the Capitol since he left the White House and his supporters stormed the seat of Congress on January 6, 2021. At the federal level, the ex-president must answer for his attempts to overturn his defeat against his successor Joe Biden . Charges were also brought against Trump in the state of Georgia for similar allegations. Trump wants to return to the White House in 2024 and is currently far ahead in internal party polls in the Republican nomination race.
Observers expect that he will use a visit to the Capitol to demonstrate his control over large parts of the Republican Party.
Group deeply fragmented
The faction in the House of Representatives is deeply divided, as was recently made clear by the historic removal of Kevin McCarthy as chairman of the House of Representatives.
The favorites to succeed McCarthy are Steve Scalise, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, and Jim Jordan, the head of the chamber’s Judiciary Committee. Both are trying to secure the 218 votes needed to win the top office. To do this, they are equally dependent on the support of the ultra-right and moderate wings of their group.