Fox News’ Bret Baier will host a televised debate on Monday evening between declared and potential candidates for House speaker after Kevin McCarthy was ousted, Punchbowl News reported Friday.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, who have both announced speaker bids, will participate along with Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, who is considering a run, a source familiar told Punchbowl News. The debate, televised by Fox News, will either be live or pre-recorded, but will be closed to the press, Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman clarified in a tweet.
The debate will precede the House GOP’s candidate forum on Tuesday, and speaker election on Wednesday, according to Punchbowl News.
Scalise and Jordan are both racking up endorsements, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer backing the majority leader and former President Donald Trump throwing his support behind the chairman. Hern hasn’t decided whether he will jump in the race, but has been gauging support from members since McCarthy was ousted on Tuesday.
@realDonaldTrump makes an endorsement for Speaker of the House.
Trump To Endorse Jim Jordan For House Speaker@DailyCaller https://t.co/8ctJoF8CGH
— Harold Hutchison (@HaroldHutchison) October 6, 2023
The House voted 216 to 210 to remove McCarthy from his post after Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a motion to vacate the speaker on Monday following the passage of a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government. Along with Gaetz, Republican Reps. Matt Rosendale of Montana, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Eli Crane of Arizona, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Bob Good of Virginia voted to oust McCarthy.
Many allies of McCarthy have been critical of Gaetz and the other seven Republicans who supported the motion to vacate, arguing they did so for personal reasons. Some have floated expelling the Florida congressman, and others have called for a change to the rules to avoid a similar situation in the future.
McCarthy soon announced he would not seek the position again, and Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry of North Carolina has been serving as speaker pro tempore.
Fox News, Scalise, Jordan and Hern did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
Mary Lou Masters on October 6, 2023
