An unexpected guest was seen walking the halls of the U.S. Capitol Building Wednesday night. What he had to say was even more interesting.
Reporters caught former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, in the Capitol. Boehner's appearance comes as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy works to secure enough votes to become the next speaker of the House.
Unfortunately for McCarthy, the Republican Party has a historically slim majority and a handful of his caucus' most hardline members have already defected. Others are leaning no.
Under the Constitution, the speaker doesn't have to be a sitting member of Congress, which earlier ignited speculation that Boehner could lead a coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats.
When asked point-blank about Kevin McCarthy's chances of being the next speaker, Boehner said, “As I told a journalist today…you can't get in trouble for something you don't say.”
Me: So, Speaker Kevin McCarthy?
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) November 30, 2022
Boehner: “As I told a journalist today…you can't get in trouble for something you don't say.”
Mediaite adds:
Twitter lost its collective mind:
Tan, rested, and ready. https://t.co/xWSZKlOnfr
— Jay Nordlinger (@jaynordlinger) December 1, 2022
An elegant speaker for a more merlot-soaked age… https://t.co/iyuMefzW1g
— Jonathan Nicholson (@JNicholsonInDC) December 1, 2022
Time to break out the Merlot and Camels! https://t.co/LpJjFteQGO
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) November 30, 2022
One Last Job https://t.co/3El499qxdt
— Quinta Jurecic (@qjurecic) December 1, 2022
I used to give tours of the Capitol and I was the corniest tour guide. When we would pass Boehner's office I would say “some believe this is the office of the Weeper of the House,” since Boehner was known to shed a tear frequently.
— Drake Bentley (@DrakeBentleyMJS) December 1, 2022
I should be arrested for my crimes. https://t.co/dVlz7y0mLc
the Ghost of GOP Majorities Past 👀 https://t.co/5ebVsqSVkz
— Sarah Rumpf 🇺🇸🇮🇱🇺🇦 (@rumpfshaker) December 1, 2022
Boehner, a moderate, led the GOP from 2007 to 2015. He has spent his retirement drinking wine, tanning, smoking cigarettes and pitching legal cannabis.
McCarthy has warned that Democrats could influence who's the next speaker if the GOP doesn't unite.
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Boehner was terrible as Speaker of the House and would be a giant mistake to be so again. Hell, I’d rather see Trump as the Speaker than Boehner, at least Trump has the balls to stand up to the radicals on both sides than does Boehner or McCarthy!
I agree