The New York TimesThe New York Times

In House speaker fight, Trump struggles to play kingmaker

By Maggie Haberman and Michael C. Bender

05 Jan 2023 · 4 min read

Editor's Note

The Republican failure to elect a House speaker underscores "the limits of Trump’s political potency"—even among those politicians who are supposedly loyal to him. The NYT has a remarkable analysis.

After Kevin McCarthy failed to win enough votes to become House speaker Tuesday, former President Donald Trump held a call with McCarthy and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, one of the key Republican members of Congress blocking McCarthy’s bid.

Trump’s goal was to break the logjam. But if Trump had wanted Perry to quickly flip, it wasn’t to be: The next day, Perry voted against McCarthy three more times.

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