Kevin McCarthy appears to say Trump has told him he wants to be House speaker

Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy.
(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump has briefly entertained the idea of making a bid to become House speaker, and others have suggested the strategy may make sense for him, regardless of whether he also wants to take another shot at the White House in 2024.

There's no hard evidence that Trump is considering that route, but on Friday House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) appeared to tell Fox News' Brian Kilmeade amid laughter that Trump has indeed told him he "wants to be speaker." McCarthy, who is determined to take over the role himself should Republicans take back the House in 2022, said he's responded to Trump by telling him that he'd rather him become president again instead.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.