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I’ve alternatively referred to the current state of the Republican Party as a circular firing squad or an internecine war. In response to a recent article, a friend suggested there’s no GOP war at all and that Kevin McCarthy will prevail after he wins over a sufficient number of hold-out members of the GOP Caucus.

While I don’t know if McCarthy will ultimately win the House Speakership, or not, I do know that House Republicans are in the middle of an internecine war the likes of which we haven’t seen in more than 100 years. If McCarthy is to prevail, what’s it going to take to push him over the top? One Republican who thought he had the answer was former President Donald Trump, who strongly backed McCarthy’s bid from the outset. Even after three House votes failed on Tuesday, Trump posted on Truth Social:

Some really good conversations took place last night, and it’s now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA, THE ONLY SPEAKER IN U.S. HISTORY TO HAVE LOST THE “HOUSE” TWICE!

REPUBLICANS, DO NOT TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT AND EMBARRASSING DEFEAT. IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE, YOU DESERVE IT. Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB — JUST WATCH!

While I find myself in unfamiliar territory, here, Trump was right.

Trump stuck with McCarthy after three failed votes. The question is how his support will continue. pic.twitter.com/pst6UL9CVt

— MikesRight (@RealLibSmacker) January 4, 2023

Let me correct myself: I agree with Trump on everything in his above post —but the “great triumph” thing. If the midterm elections had been a “great triumph,” McCarthy and his House Republican colleagues would likely not be embarrassing themselves before the entire country, not to mention sending a clear message that GOP dysfunction continues. One can only imagine the upcoming circular firing squad for real — as the 2024 primary season draws closer and closer.

Despite Trump’s Tuesday night Truth Social post strongly encouraging House Republicans to line up behind McCarthy, it appears that Donald’s support has limits. In a brief phone call on Tuesday night, as reported by NBC News, Trump was asked if he still supports the House Leader, to which the former president responded:

We’ll see what happens. I got everybody calling me wanting my support. But let’s see what happens and we’ll go — I got everybody calling, wanting my support. That’s all I can say. But we’ll see what happens. We’ll see how it all works out.

While the above response comes nowhere near Trump’s former ringing endorsement of McCarthy — and I’m not suggesting it should — it clearly illustrates that Trump’s influence in the party continues to wane.

During a mid-December interview with Breitbart News, Trump said of McCarthy and House Republicans:

I think he deserves the shot. Hopefully he’s going to be very strong and going to be very good and he’s going to do what everybody want. I’m friendly with a lot of those people who are against Kevin. I think almost every one of them are very much inclined toward Trump, and me toward them. But I have to tell them, and I have told them, you’re playing a very dangerous game. You could end up with the worse situation.

However, despite Trump’s continuing support, nearly two dozen Republicans voted for Republicans other than McCarthy on the first vote, leaving him far short of the 218 votes needed to be elected speaker. And as we “speak,” the impasse continues.

Recent related RedState articles:

(UPDATED) McCarthy Stumbles as the 20 Hold Steady and 1 Votes ‘Present,’ Moving the House Into a 5th (Now 6th) Round of Voting

Texas Representative Chip Roy Dismantles the ‘McCarthy Is the Only Choice’ Talking Point

Matt Gaetz Throws Down the Gauntlet, Wants Kevin McCarthy Evicted From Speaker’s Office