Donald Trump capped his Saturday in a raging meltdown over reports that a GOP Rep. who voted in favor of his impeachment could become Speaker of the House if Trump ally Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) falls short of the 218 votes needed to win the gavel.
“Rep. Fred Upton, a Pro-Impeachment RINO, would be a disaster for anything having to do with the word Republican, but especially when it comes to Speaker of the House,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.
He added: “My record on Endorsements in the General Election was 232-22, and in the Primaries was 98.6%. I would never have endorsed Upton, who quit Congress in the face of a challenge, and that’s not what Republican’s need. A very dangerous game is being played. Peace through Strength!!!”
The twice-impeached former president was reacting to a report published by Politico this week about moderate Republicans and Democrats reportedly considering joining together and nominating outgoing Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) as House Speaker should Republican hardliners sabotage McCarthy’s bid.
As noted by Politico, while Upton is retiring as a congressman and did not seek a new term in office, the Speaker of the House of Representatives does not have to be an actively serving representative.
It’s not clear how serious the chatter about drafting Upton to lead the House of Representatives is, but it was enough to trigger a Trump freakout over the idea.
