With rumors of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) retiring amid devastating midterm polling, Schiff, a conspiracy theorist and chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, is making furious moves to transplant Pelosi as House leader if she retires, according to Punchbowl News.

Schiff so covets the leadership position that he has already tried to convince fellow Democrat colleagues of the validity of his desires. To hype his potential candidacy, Schiff has touted the millions of campaign funds he has raised. Schiff has also recently attended the New Democrats’ retreat, which raised eyebrows among “several insiders [who] took particular notice” of his presence…

Schiff may decide not to run for speaker of the House because of his foreign policy track record. Punchbowl noted several Democrats “also wondered if Schiff really wants to stay in the House or if it’s just a stepping stone to bigger ambitions – such as running for Senate.”