Trump not visiting Capitol Hill this week amid GOP Speaker drama

Former President Trump will not travel to Capitol Hill this week as House Republicans scramble to determine the next Speaker, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill.

Sources previously told The Hill that Trump and his team were discussing a possible trip to Capitol Hill amid the debate over the next Speaker, but that no such visit was ever finalized and it may not ultimately happen.

Fox News had reported Trump was expected to visit Capitol Hill, but it reported Monday that would no longer happen.

Reports about a potential Trump visit surfaced shortly after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted following a motion brought by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). Eight Republicans and every Democrat in the House voted last week to officially remove McCarthy from the job.

In the days that followed, a small number of Republicans floated Trump’s name for Speaker. 

While Trump did not entirely dismiss the idea and said he’d be willing to help the party however he could, the former president said he was focused on his 2024 presidential campaign. Although the Speaker is not required to be a member of the House, it was extremely unlikely Trump would be able to secure the votes necessary to become Speaker.

Instead, Trump publicly endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for Speaker in a Thursday social media post. Jordan is a longtime Trump ally and one of his staunchest defenders in the House.

Multiple sources suggested Trump and his team may have been forced to go public with an endorsement of Jordan before they’d planned after Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) posted on social media that the former president was backing the Ohio Republican.

Jordan is not the only Republican seeking the gavel, however, and his path to the speakership is far from assured. 

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is also pursuing the gavel, and McCarthy on Monday did not rule out the possibility of returning as Speaker to settle the turmoil in the House and deal with violence taking place in Israel.

House Republicans are scheduled to hold a candidate forum Tuesday for those in the running to be Speaker. An internal vote by the conference is expected Wednesday.

Trump spent Monday campaigning in New Hampshire, and he is scheduled to hold campaign events next Monday in Iowa.