Can Rep. Tom Emmer Win the Speaker Gavel?

Update 10/24/23, 3:40 CST: Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) dropped his speaker bid after facing backlash from some House Republicans and former President Donald Trump, per The New York Times (Lean Left bias).

House Republicans voted to nominate Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) for the position of House Speaker. Can Emmer succeed where the previous nominees, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), failed? 

Who is Emmer? Under the current Congress, Emmer has served as majority whip, working to secure votes for legislation pushed by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Described by the New York Times (Lean Left bias) as a “mainstream conservative,” Emmer positioned himself as a unity candidate capable of bringing together the divided party.  

Can He Win? Shortly after Emmer was announced as the nominee, former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump took to Truth Social to voice his disapproval. Trump said Emmer is “totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters,” adding, “Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake!” The Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) reported that “roughly 26 Republicans” indicated they wouldn’t vote for Emmer. But Newsweek (Center bias) is reporting that at least one Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), would sit out the vote if Emmer promises to “fund our government at negotiated levels, bring Ukraine and Israel aid bills to the floor, and commit to rule changes to make Congress work for the people.” Democratic lawmakers sitting out the vote would lower the threshold needed to achieve a majority. 

How the Media Covered It: Many left-rated outlets emphasized division within the Republicans Party, often framing it as dysfunction. Many right-rated outlets framed coverage around Trump’s opposition to Emmer.