John Boehner would 'rather set himself on fire' than get involved in the 2020 election

It's safe to say we know which Republican isn't about to back presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

A spokesperson for former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Monday confirmed to Bloomberg News that he isn't the former Republican member of Congress preparing to offer an endorsement of Biden. This clarification came after former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) teased that an unidentified former GOP congressman would soon be breaking with his party to back Biden over President Trump.

Immediately, one of the prime suspects on Twitter was Boehner. But according to a spokesperson, there's "nothing to see here" because the former House speaker would "rather set himself on fire than get involved in the election," per Bloomberg's Billy House.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Boehner retired from Congress in 2015 and has since exuded a "boy, am I glad I'm not a part of this anymore" energy in interviews, sometimes enjoying a cocktail while doing so. As some Republicans get behind Biden this year, including Kasich, it seems we should hardly expect a tearful endorsement from Boehner anytime soon, as he would quite prefer to be left out of this, thank you very much.