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Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds said it is up to embattled Republican leader Kevin McCarthy whether he drops the House speaker bid during an impromptu news conference Wednesday after his own name was put up in the race.
Donalds spoke to reporters on the steps of the US Capitol after voting for himself in the second round of voting for President on Wednesday and in the fifth round overall.
When asked by DailyMail.com about his reaction to Donald Trump’s endorsement of McCarthy, Donalds, a supporter of the former president himself, dismissed the high-profile endorser.
President Trump has been in that position for several months. Knowing President Trump, he doesn’t change his mind,” Donalds began.
‘That’s great, but the members are going to decide this process. And you know, that’s, that’s not disrespectful to President Trump. That is the reality of the House.
Florida Republican Representative Byron Donalds held an impromptu press conference on the steps of the US Capitol.
It comes after Colorado Republican Party Rep. Lauren Boebert, another Trump ally, publicly demanded that the former president call McCarthy and tell him to withdraw from the race, as she nominated Donalds in his place during a of the votes on Wednesday.
The House of Representatives failed to choose a president in the first round of voting for the first time in 100 years on Tuesday, and then fell further into chaos when McCarthy failed multiple times on Wednesday.
It has gotten the new GOP majority, though slim, off to a chaotic start.
A group of 19 conservatives derailed McCarthy’s candidacy, even though he made last-minute concessions they had asked for, including passing a measure that would allow five Republicans to ask for a new vote for president at any time, known as the vacancy motion.
Donalds joined his rebellion in the third round, by which time all of McCarthy’s critics had rallied around Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, who has repeatedly said he doesn’t want the sledgehammer.
Then on Wednesday, Donalds himself was nominated by Texas Rep. Chip Roy in the first round and Boebert in the second.
He told reporters on Wednesday that he “didn’t really” want the presidency, adding: “I never really came here to try to be in leadership.”
House Republicans have been in disarray with a second day of session without a speaker
It has led to multiple heated moments on the House floor between GOP members for and against Kevin McCarthy.
“I didn’t come to DC interested in becoming House speaker,” Donalds said.
“But I also understand that, you know, part of my responsibility is to make sure that our conference gets to a point where we’re doing things effectively and constructively.”
Unlike Jordan, however, who also said he didn’t want the role he was nominated for on Tuesday, Donalds voted for himself in all three rounds on Wednesday.
The Republicans have already descended into chaos on the second day of their slim majority.
The 118th Congress has yet to be sworn in due to the delay in choosing a new Speaker.
Republican lawmakers could be seen having intense conversations on the House floor and in various hallways outside the chamber.
McCarthy’s critics have made it clear that his concessions are not enough, indicating that the interpartisan struggle has taken a deeply personal turn.
Donalds originally supported McCarthy, but has since called for more discussions and meetings for his party to reach a compromise.
However, he told reporters that the fight for the current Republican head of the House is not over yet.
“I don’t think we’re there at this point,” he said when asked if McCarthy should step aside. “I think there are a lot of members in the chamber who want to have serious conversations about how we can bring this all to, you know, come to an end.”
“But I’m not going to speak for Kevin, and that’s something he and his team have to figure out.”
He suggested that he had not yet spoken to McCarthy, but “anticipated” a conversation later on Wednesday.
In nominating Donalds in the first round, Roy highlighted the historic nature of having two black candidates for House speaker. It came after Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar nominated incoming Democratic Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for the gavel.
He got a standing ovation from both sides of the House chamber, but progressive Missouri Rep. Cori Bush was unmoved.
“He’s supportive,” Bush, who is also black, wrote on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.
“Despite being black, he supports a political agenda that tries to defend and perpetuate white supremacy. His name in the mix isn’t progress, he’s pathetic.’