The dust has barely settled from Rep, Jim Jordan (R-OH)'s exit from the race to become Speaker of the House, and now there's another round of drama stirring. As I wrote Friday, at least six new candidates have stepped up to the plate to vie for the Speakership ahead of a new vote next week. On Saturday morning, a seventh candidate, Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson, officially joined their ranks.

Also making it official was the member who received Kevin McCarthy's blessing on Friday: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN):

The American people elected us to deliver on a conservative agenda that secures our border, stops reckless spending, and holds Joe Biden accountable.

We cannot afford to fail them.

I'm running for Speaker of the House to bring our conference together and get back to work. pic.twitter.com/kVFmlQ70PS

— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) October 21, 2023

In his announcement, Emmer said, in part, that he seeks "to bring our conference together and get back to work."

Emmer went on to say that, in the last 10 months with a Republican majority in the House, "our Conference has shown what we can accomplish when we come together as a team. ... Our conference remains at a crossroads and the deck is stacked against us. We have no choice but to fight like hell to hold on to our House Majority and deliver on our conservative agenda."

But Emmer is reportedly already facing headwinds from vocal individuals in Trump World -- including former President Donald Trump:

Former President Donald Trump privately conveyed to allies on Friday he does not back House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s bid for speaker, throwing another wrench into an already chaotic process to find the next person to hold the gavel.[...]

The former president’s top allies are already working to thwart Emmer’s candidacy. Trump supporters have begun passing around opposition research on the congressmember, and the pro-Trump “War Room” podcast on Friday afternoon turned into an Emmer bash-fest. During an appearance on the program, top Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn noted that Emmer had yet to endorse Trump in the Republican presidential primary.

One prominent example Politico gave in its reporting was "War Room" host Steve Bannon calling Emmer a “Trump hater.”

It continued:

Others close to Trump said Emmer as speaker would open a breach between House Republicans and their likely presidential nominee. Emmer “has no relationship with Trump,” one adviser said.

And what is Trump saying?

In conversations Friday, Trump made clear he was concerned by the prospect of Emmer in the speaker’s chair, telling people he believed the Minnesota Republican was not a fan, according to two people familiar with those private talks. Trump has complained, they say, that Emmer has not forcefully defended him against the indictments he is facing. He has also pointed to Emmer’s criticism of him following the Trump-inspired Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and reports — which Emmer strenuously denied — that as then-chair of the House GOP campaign arm, he advised Republican candidates to avoid mentioning Trump.

The concerns only seem to be coming from one side, it appears, based on the statement from Emmer's Whip office communications director, Casey Nelson: 

As NRCC Chair, Whip Emmer worked hand in hand with President Trump to help House Republicans fire Nancy Pelosi and retake the majority. If he becomes Speaker, Whip Emmer looks forward to continuing that productive relationship.

I'm noticing something, and wonder if you are, too; what Trump seems to be focusing on is what he always focuses on: how loyal he perceives Emmer to be to himself. Now, I guess, in some limited way, it's important to be able to trust those you team up with in politics. You can build mistrust of a person because they no longer keep up their word on how they said they would support this measure or that measure. But holding up positive support for someone because of your perceptions of how they think of you is a bit much. 

Take another look at the image on this article -- that's Emmer stumping for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential campaign. 

At last check, some activity among Trump supporters seemed to be leaning towards supporting Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who also announced a run for Speaker on Saturday. But who really knows from hour to hour, right? We'll keep you posted on what happens next.

Going forward, I believe we must have a process where EVERY MEMBER has a seat at the table.

I'm going to talk about my ideas, my vision & my game plan to achieve them.

At the end of the day, we must get back to work & secure the border.

It's up to House Republicans to LEAD! pic.twitter.com/jnSDKbJA7o

— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) October 21, 2023