Former US President Donald Trump has claimed that the idea of him temporarily taking over the position of speaker of the House of Representatives, the holder of which has been ousted, has been raised.
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker of the House, was ousted on Tuesday in a historic vote in Congress, the victim of fratricidal infighting within his own party following a revolt by Trump lawmakers.
"They asked me to speak as a unifier because I have so many friends in Congress," Trump said yesterday, Thursday, speaking to the US television station Fox News.
"If they can't win the vote, they asked me if I would consider taking over the presidency until they find someone to take over for the long term since I'm running for president," he added.
But former Republican congresswoman Barbara Comstock told CNN that Trump can't take the job because of criminal charges.
"Unfortunately, he doesn't know the rules of the House, which say you can't be speaker if you've been indicted," Comstock said.
Trump, favorite for the nomination of the Republican Party in the run-up to the 2024 presidential elections, is to be tried from next March in Washington. He is accused of trying to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Donald Trump, the first former US president to face criminal charges, is also being prosecuted in Georgia for trying to manipulate the 2020 election and in New York for an accounting fraud case linked to buyout payments the silence of a porn actress.
Trump is also set to stand trial in May 2024 in Florida for his alleged negligence in handling classified documents after leaving the White House.
Trump and his two sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., have also been sued in New York for defrauding the value of his properties.
Source: RES-EAP
