It’s an appealing idea; one that combines a thumb in the eye of the Democrat machine that is desperate to deplatform (and probably imprison) President Trump with a ready-made bully pulpit for a man who is a master at using one.
Trump for Congress 2022! Donald Trump declares his candidacy, asks voters across the country to turn out and elect him a Republican majority in the House, and launches a simultaneous campaign to become Speaker of the House once elected. Imagine, Donald Trump second in line to the Presidency and forcing President Biden-Harris-Biden to negotiate with him in order to pass legislation. The “Art of the Deal” evolves into the political “Art of War.”
Except….The position of Speaker of The House requires knowledge of the intricacies of the rules of the House, and the ability to manipulate those rules. One of President Trump’s weaknesses was his inability to navigate the labyrinth of government, preferring to use his own management style that worked well for him in the past, coupled with his excellent and energizing speaking skills.
But that management style won’t work in the House, because the 218+ representatives each have their own agendas and the Republican Party has been remiss for a very long time in cracking the whip and forcing a unified voice. And the bully pulpit of the speaker is an order of magnitude smaller than the president’s.
All of this assumes that President Trump would be elected speaker, something that may seem a foregone conclusion, but which might not be realistic. I simply cannot imagine President Trump accepting an inferior position within the house hierarchy, so it would be “Speaker or bust!”
A more realistic position for President Trump is as the leader of the New PartyTM, whatever that may be. Could it be a reconstituted Republican Party after a violent purge of the NeverTrumpers and the “go along to get along” squishes who have done real damage to the party and to the country? Sure. Maybe. Or will it be an entirely new party, built from the ashes of the Republican party’s self-immolation? That sounds even better, and I know full well that may mean a generation out of power.
Either way. President Trump belongs at the head of a movement, in full view of all of America, not buried in the Capitol trying to wend his way through the Deep State’s obstacles.
