Former President Donald Trump reportedly urged all Republicans to support Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for Speaker of the House.
During the inaugural sitting of the new Congress on Tuesday, the member fell short of the 218 votes needed to take possession of the gavel in three different rounds.
Republicans began to unite around Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) as a possible replacement, while Democrats backed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
McCarthy was previously backed by Trump to lead the House Republicans.
The former commander-in-chief was noncommittal in an interview with NBC News reporter Garrett Haake on Tuesday.
However, Trump published a major statement of support for McCarthy on Truth Social on Wednesday morning, also implying that he met with holdouts on Tuesday evening.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who has been the senior Democrat in the house for two decades, has announced that she will not run for re-election when her current two-year term expires.
Republicans presently hold a razor-thin majority in the House, thanks to a poor showing in the previous midterm elections, which also resulted in Democrats retaining control of the Senate.
Conservative holdouts demand that Republican leaders refrain from participating in primary elections, ensure increased representation of conservative-leaning members on key committees, and prioritize holding “weaponized” agencies responsible.
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