Will Donald Trump run for Congress?
It may sound like aa unlikely idea, but the former president seemed to show interest in starting his political comeback in the U.S. House during an interview with radio host Wayne Allyn Root on Friday.
Root hyped Trump on the idea of running for a U.S. House seat from Florida next year and then maybe moving onto become House Speaker if Republicans win the majority in the 2022 midterm elections.
From this angle, Root said, Trump could “wipe” Biden out as the Republican leader and then run for president again in 2024.
“Why not, instead of waiting for 2024, and I’m hoping you’ll run in 2024, but why not run in 2022 for the United States Congress? A House seat in Florida. Win big. Lead us to a dramatic landslide victory. Take the House by 50 seats,” he said to Trump.
“Then you become the Speaker of the House, lead the impeachment of Biden and start criminal investigations against Biden. You’ll wipe him out for this last two years,” he added.
Trump seemed to like what the host was saying.
“That’s so interesting,” the former president said. “You know, It’s very interesting.”
He said that other people have suggested that he run for Senate, “but you know what, your idea might be better.”
Root is not the first person to bring up the idea of Trump running for Congress. Back in February, 2016 Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon told a group of Republicans in Boston that Trump should unseat Speaker Pelosi and launch an impeachment investigation against Biden.
“We totally get rid of Nancy Pelosi, and the first act of President Trump as Speaker [of the House] will be to impeach Joe Biden for his illegitimate activities of stealing the presidency,” Bannon said.
The plan would need several events to break in Trump’s favor. He would first have to find a House district in Florida where he could win the Republican primary and go on to victory in the general election. Then, Republicans would have to gain control of the House and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy would need to step aside and allow Trump as Speaker.
But a leading Republican like McCarthy putting aside his own goals to avoid crossing Trump would not be unexpected. Trump’s upcoming decisions on his political future have frozen most of the Republican candidates who want to run for president in 2024 but do not want to go against Trump in a primary.
Since losing the White House to President Joe Biden, Trump has given some hints about his aim to run again but has made no solid commitments in doing so.
The former president’s political goals remain complex, however, by a criminal investigation into his business dealings led by New York prosecutors. A special grand jury was gathered at the end of May to consider evidence and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is expected to seek criminal charges against Trump.
Trump has criticized the investigation as “purely political” and by all indications he has no plans of letting it ruin his goals. He will speak at the North Carolina GOP convention on Saturday, rallying Republicans in the swing state ahead of a critical Senate election next year. Later this summer the former president’s campaign-style rallies are expected to continue as he travels the nation in support of several Republican candidates.
Is Trump really considering a run for U.S. House? It is unknown as of now. But the media interest in his remarks on Root’s radio show proves how everyone is waiting to see what Donald Trump plans to do next.
Senior Trump aide Jason Miller said: “I don’t think anyone is having more fun right now than President Donald J. Trump.”