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Depending on whom you ask, the House Republican leadership team has five or six members: House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Republican Policy Committee Chair Gary Palmer, and National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson. As of 24 hours ago, five of these six lawmakers had issued formal endorsements of Donald Trump.
The exception was Minnesota’s Tom Emmer, who remained neutral — until now. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that he’s joined his partisan colleagues.
Minnesota U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer endorsed Donald Trump’s bid for president on Wednesday ahead of Republicans’ first nominating contest in Iowa. ... Emmer’s endorsement means Trump has the full backing of GOP leadership in the House going into the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15. Trump is leading all other Republican presidential candidates in the polls.
For those looking for evidence of the former president locking up the support of much of the GOP establishment, look no further than Emmer’s announcement.
But the Minnesotan’s decision was not inevitable.
It was just 10 weeks ago when the House majority leader secured the votes he needed to become the Republican conference’s speaker-designate. Two hours after Emmer’s intra-party victory, Trump issued a public condemnation of the congressman.
“I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors,” the former president wrote on his social media platform. “RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA—MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! He fought me all the way, and actually spent more time defending Ilhan Omar, than he did me—He is totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters.”
Trump’s missive concluded, “Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake!”
Emmer had reached out to Trump directly ahead of the conference vote, making his case, and apparently telling the former president that he’s Trump’s “biggest fan.” The lobbying didn’t have the intended effect: The former president trashed the GOP leader anyway. Emmer did not vote to overturn the 2020 election, and for Trump, this was unforgiveable sin.
Four hours after Emmer became the speaker-designate, he was the former speaker-designate. It was an unprecedented turn of events.
Common sense might suggest that the Minnesotan would hold a grudge. After all, Trump effectively set fire to his bid for House speaker without cause.
But Emmer instead saw the writing on the wall and did what he was expected to do.