The successful protest vote taken by a group of House Republicans to defeat Conservative Rep. Jim Jordan in his bid to become the next Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives may have ushered in an even more conservative and principled House Speaker, Rep. Byron Donalds.
After Texas Rep. Jodey Arrington(R) took his name out of the running for Speaker, eight House Republicans were left standing and will make the case for their candidacy to the conference before lawmakers cast their votes for Speaker of the House on Tuesday.
While all eight men are formidable and respected members of the House Republican caucus, Rep.Donalds, a mere sophomore lawmaker, could be the standout candidate in the race.
Forget about the fact that he towers over his colleagues, Rep. Donalds is largely seen as the counter-balance to the House Democrat’s Hakeem Jeffries, who just so happens to also be African American.
Both political parties are gunning to be the first to boast about having voted in the first Black Speaker of the House in U.S. history.
Race politics aside, Rep. Donalds winning the Speakership would be a big get for Republicans considering that House Democrats like to accuse their congressional counterparts of being white hood-wearing racists.
But just because Rep. Donalds is black, it hasn’t stopped Democrats from referring to him as racist.
Just a few months ago, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D) Bowman expressed his belief that the Republican Party was filled with hate and “white supremacy.”
When The Floridian asked him about whether he believed Rep.Donalds was racist like the rest of House Republicans, Rep. Bowman all but said that Rep. Donalds was not the right kind of black man.
“Yeah. I mean, you know, every brotha ain't a brotha, you know, I'm saying and so, you know, that's just the way that goes,” said Rep. Bowman.
Some lawmakers may think that Donalds is “too Hollywood” to be Speaker because he is always on Fox News and other national media news outlets, while others believe that his consistent exposure could help Republicans show doubting constituents that they are unified and geared up to increase their majority in the House.
While Donalds' conservative bona fides are beyond reproach, the fact that he can convey a positive, pro-America First message that has put him on the shortlist to become President Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate in the 2024 presidential election, it will be interesting to see which Republican lawmakers will vote against Donalds and run the risk of having their vote spun by legacy media outlets, and Democrats like Rep. Bowman, as being racially-motivated.
Donalds can be considered the favorite in the race to be Speaker, but he will first have to face two, possibly three very formidable opponents—Reps. Pete Sessions, Tom Emmer, and Mike Johnson.
Rep. Sessions has been in Congress for over two decades and knows how the game, the real game, is played behind closed doors.
Rep. Johnson, who is the House Republican Conference Vice Chairman, is a staunch and full-blooded conservative.
Now, Rep. Emmer, who has been endorsed by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and once led the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) could pose the biggest threat to Donalds, considering that in his past role at the NRCC, he helped many of the people voting on Tuesday get elected to office.
Rep. Emmer will surely be asked about his past job as spokesman for the National Vote Campaign back in 2006. The group funding the initiative to “ overhaul the Electoral College by passing laws that commit state electors to the candidate who wins the national popular vote,” was backed by billionaire George Soros.
The Floridian has learned that many, if not all of the Florida Republican congressional caucus is backing Donalds’ candidacy for Speaker.
Reps. Michael Waltz, Carlos Gimenez, and Cory Mills, have publicly endorsed Donalds.
Former President Donald Trump has announced that he will not support Emmer for Speaker.
President Trump, who is expected to win the Republican presidential nomination, will most-likely support Donalds in the race.
Like Rep. Jordan, Donalds has been one of President Trump staunchest supporters.
