Tom Emmer drops out of contention for House speaker, hours after winning GOP nomination

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House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota, speaks to members of the media following a House Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 23, 2023.

Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Rep. Tom Emmer dropped his bid for speaker of the House of Representatives, just hours after he secured the nomination, with former President Donald Trump and dozens of Republican lawmakers expressing opposition to his candidacy.

Emmer, the Republican majority whip, had prevailed over a crowded field of eight GOP candidates to secure the nomination after several rounds of voting Tuesday morning.

But the Minnesota Republican didn't have the 217 Republican votes needed to secure the gavel. Twenty-six Republicans opposed Emmer in a vote held after his nomination to gauge support before bringing the majority whip before the House floor.

Emmer could have only afforded to lose four GOP votes, as Democrats have lined up in lockstep behind their nominee, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

The Minnesotan's nomination suffered a serious blow Tuesday afternoon when former President Donald Trump derided him as a "globalist" and not a true Republican.

"Voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake," Trump said Tuesday in a post on Truth Social.

The House has been leaderless for nearly three weeks now, which has left Congress paralyzed and unable to move forward with spending legislation as a Nov. 17 deadline looms to avoid a government shutdown. Congress is also unable to respond to President Joe Biden's call for emergency security assistance for Israel and Ukraine until the House elects a speaker.

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was forced to abandon his bid on Friday after his nomination failed in three separate votes. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the original nominee, pulled his candidacy before even facing the House floor after it became clear he did not have enough votes.

The House leadership crisis was triggered when a faction of eight Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, ousted McCarthy in a historically unprecedented no-confidence vote. Democrats refused to save McCarthy's speakership, leading to the California Republican's downfall.

â CNBC's Emily Wilkins and Brian Schwartz contributed to this report.

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