Since Majority Whip Tom Emmer backed the former president, who had a negative impact on his speakership attempt last year, all five of the top House Republicans are now in support of Donald Trump.
On Wednesday morning, the Republican from Minnesota—who has also held the position of chief of staff for the House GOP—made it official by saying that he supported Trump. This came a day after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) openly endorsed the Republican frontrunner for president. In the immediate aftermath of the Louisianan’s election as conference leader, Speaker Mike Johnson declared his support for the former president.
The Democrats have made it plain that they would resort to any means necessary to ensure that Joe Biden and his disastrous policies remain in office. “We will not allow them,” Emmer stated. “The Republican Party needs to rally behind the frontrunner in this race, and I am pleased to endorse Donald J. Trump for president.”
The backing of Emmer stands out among the other GOP leaders, though. Even before Trump personally tried to scuttle Emmer’s campaign for speakership following Kevin McCarthy’s ouster in October, several of his Republican colleagues thought he was hesitant to embrace the president. Trump called out Emmer’s attempt to join Truth Social, calling the gavel-hopeful a “Globalist RINO” and someone who is “totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters.” To further convey his displeasure with Emmer, the ex-president called each Republican member of the House personally.
Without bringing his campaign to a vote on the House floor, Emmer withdrew from the contest just hours after receiving the nomination from the conference.
House GOP leaders have banded together to support a common candidate less than two weeks before the Republican presidential primary’s first true test—the Iowa caucuses on January 15. The former president’s icy relationship with GOP leader Mitch McConnell makes his support in the Senate stand in sharp contrast to his popularity in the House of Representatives.
