WASHINGTON DC: Following Kevin McCarthy's ouster, former president Donald Trump said he would accept a temporary position as Speaker of the House of Representatives in order to act as a "unifier" for the Republican Party until lawmakers decide on a candidate for the position.
In an exclusive with Fox News Digital, Trump made the statement saying that as he has many friends in Congress, he won't mind taking up the role 'temporarily'.
"I have been asked to speak as a unifier because I have so many friends in Congress...If they don't get the vote, they have asked me if I would consider taking the speakership until they get somebody longer term because I am running for president," Trump told Fox News Digital.
Trump added, "They have asked me if I would take it for a short period of time for the party until they come to a conclusion -- I'm not doing it because I want to -- I will do it if necessary, should they not be able to make their decision." Following the first-ever vote to remove a Speaker from office on Tuesday, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was replaced as Speaker by McHenry.
McCarthy served as House Speaker for 269 days before being removed. His tenure began on January 7, 2023, and lasted until Tuesday (US local time)- the second-shortest for a speaker in the country's history.
The mutiny, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), came days after McCarthy averted a government shutdown by putting a stopgap measure on the floor that garnered Democratic support -- a move that infuriated hardline Republicans.
Both House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, have declared candidatures for speaker since McCarthy's removal, according to Fox News.
In the event that Republicans are unable to agree, Trump emphasised he would assume the speakership for a brief "30, 60, or 90-day period. Republican Representative Patrick McHenry of North Carolina will now temporarily lead the House of Representatives after the Speaker's position was vacated on Tuesday this week.