Paul Ryan stunned political observers when he announced his retirement.
Now the race is on to see who will succeed him.
But Trey Gowdy stopped everyone in their tracks when he uttered these remarks about the next Speaker.
Gowdy set off a firestorm of speculation when he reacted to Ryan’s declaration that he would not run for re-election.
The South Carolina Congressman stated that anyone – you don’t have to be a member of the House of Representatives – could be Speaker of the House.
This led some pundits to wonder if Gowdy – who has also announced he is not running for re-election in 2018 – would be willing to throw his hat in the ring to be the next Speaker.
The Daily Caller reports:
“Congressman Trey Gowdy reminded everyone Wednesday that the Speaker of the House does not need to actually be a sitting congressman.
The Constitution dictates “the House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers,” but it does not stipulate that you have to be a sitting member of Congress to run for the leadership position. Gowdy conveniently pointed that out at the end of his statement on Speaker Paul Ryan’s decision not to seek re-election at the end of his term.
After calling Ryan the “smartest kid in the class” and wishing him his wife and their three children “all the best,” the South Carolina Republican addressed “those within Congress who always seemed to have a better idea or a smarter strategy, now is your chance to run for Speaker.”
“To those outside of Congress who always seemed to have a better idea or a smarter strategy,” he added. “You do not have to be a member of the House to be Speaker of the House and hence, now is your chance to run for Speaker.”
Ryan was a complete disappointment as Speaker.
He presided over a Congress that spent more time investigating the President than trying to pass his agenda.
And because Ryan failed to wage even one ounce of a fight to fund Trump’s border wall and enact his Make America Great Again agenda, Republican voter enthusiasm is depressed ahead of the 2018 midterms.
Gowdy seemed to suggest that someone outside of Congress – who recognizes these flaws – should try and mount a campaign to succeed Ryan.
Reporters immediately went to his office to ask if this meant Gowdy wanted to be the next Speaker.
But his spokesman shot it down with a forceful denial.
The Daily Caller also reports:
“When asked for comment on the possibility he becomes the first non-sitting member to become the Speaker of the House in U.S. history, a spokeswoman for his office responded simply “not a chance.”
Would you like to have seen Trey Gowdy replace Paul Ryan?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
