Matt Gaetz Tries To Convince Donald Trump To Become Speaker of the House – Newsweek

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has once again claimed he has tried to convince Donald Trump to throw his hat in the ring to serve as speaker of the House if the GOP retakes the majority in the 2022 midterms.

Gaetz, who has touted the far-fetched prospect of the former president becoming the next leader of the House since last summer, told Sebastian Gorka's America's First show that he has once more discussed the possibility with Trump.

"I just think America deserves that moment when Nancy Pelosi hands Donald Trump the gavel," the Florida Republican said.

"I told him you don't even have to be speaker for the whole day," Gaetz said. "You could do it for like three or four hours, give us a great speech, make a few structural reforms to the institution and then you could resign and we could have another election for speaker."

Gaetz said he mentioned the idea to Trump in Florida the night before he appeared on Gorka's show, but admitted "I don't know if I've fully got him to swallow the hook."

Only one vote is needed for someone to be nominated for the speaker's post, and they do not have to be a sitting member of Congress.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who appeared on Gorka's show alongside Gaetz, said that her choice for the next speaker if the GOP regains control of the House has to be someone "willing to fight for things that matter," such as conservatives like herself and Trump getting banned from social media.

"I want to see a person that's willing to step up to the plate and be the type of speaker that will actually take action in defense of conservatives across America that have been censored and banned and had their accounts taken away," the Georgia Republican said.

The congresswoman, who had her personal account banned from Twitter for repeatedly spreading COVID-19 misinformation, said such actions are like Big Tech companies putting tape over people's mouths so "they can no longer speak in the public sphere."

Gaetz previously said in December 2021 he had spoken with Trump about running for the potential speaker of the House position.

Pressed for additional details at a press conference, Gaetz said he kept "conversations with the former president between the two of us."

Gaetz also vowed to nominate Trump as the next House speaker during a "Save America" rally in Sarasota, Florida, in July 2021.

"After the next election cycle when we take back the House of Representatives, when we send Nancy Pelosi back to the filth of San Francisco, my commitment to you is that my vote for speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives will go to Donald J. Trump," Gaetz told the crowd.

Trump has not publicly expressed any desire to become the next House Speaker, although he told radio talk-show host Wayne Allyn Root in June 2021 that the idea was "very interesting."

Trump has been contacted for comment.

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Matt Gaetz Tries To Convince Donald Trump To Become Speaker of the House - Newsweek