Two top members of Republican leadership have been lobbying for the position of Speaker if Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) decides to step down, Politico reported Monday.
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (La.) have been courting other Republicans for support, according to interviews with 20 Republican lawmakers and staff the news outlet conducted.
Both men downplayed the report and Scalise told Politico he would not challenge McCarthy for Speaker.
{mosads} President Trump is reportedly fond of McCarthy and his endorsement could help solidify support among conservatives. The two met for dinner last Wednesday.
Some Republicans told Politico that the relationship would help ensure McCathy’s path to victory, unlike his unsuccessful bid for Speaker in 2015.
“It’s McCarthy’s to lose,” a GOP lawmaker close with McCarthy told the news outlet. “I think he’s in a lot stronger place than last time because he’s got a close relationship with Trump.”
McCarthy, however, would face opposition from members of the House Freedom Caucus who view Ryan and his predecessor, former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), as weak on the conservative position, Politico noted.
“He’s not Speaker now because he’s got a fairly liberal Republican track record,” Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), a Freedom Caucus member, told a local Alabama radio station last month, it added.
Brooks said Scalise is better suited for the role. The majority whip is also viewed as a “heroic figure” after he was shot last summer during a baseball practice, the Alabama lawmaker noted.
Ryan’s team has denied he is resigning anytime soon and McCarthy said his only focus right now is maintaining the Republican majority in the House and pushing Trump’s agenda.
“Paul Ryan is our Speaker and I hope he is our speaker for a very long time,” McCarthy said in a statement.