Speaker race: If Trump endorses, will it matter?

RealClearPolitics contacted the offices of over a dozen members who are either part of the Freedom Caucus or are conservative members to get their assessment of a potential Trump endorsement. Few responded, but one of those who did said it is not the president’s place to select a House speaker.

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“The president picks Supreme Court justices, not speakers of the House. Given the president picked conservative Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, I’d expect him to go with Rep. Jim Jordan, who is the solid conservative in this race,” said Rep. Thomas Massie. The Kentucky lawmaker is known as one of the most independent-minded House Republicans and was the only GOP member who did not vote for Ryan as speaker in 2017.

Rep. Dave Brat’s spokesman declined to comment. Brat may be facing a tough re-election bid for the seat formerly held by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, whom Brat beat in a huge 2014 primary upset. His re-election race was recently changed from “leans Republican” to “tossup” by the Cook Political Report.

Conservative outside groups are already getting behind Jordan.

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