When have we seen this before?
Ah, 2015 Freedom Caucus?
Former President Donald J. Trump has been working the phones, personally pitching right-wing lawmakers on voting to make Representative Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader he has called “My Kevin,” the speaker of the House.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, the most outspoken far-right member of his conference, is publicly vouching for Mr. McCarthy. The California Republican has made private entreaties and public promises to win over his critics, including floating the impeachment of a member of President Biden’s cabinet.
And yet, Mr. McCarthy, who is toiling to become speaker next year when the G.O.P. assumes the majority, has so far been unable to put down a mini-revolt on the right that threatens to imperil his bid for the top job.
Mr. McCarthy has embarked on the kind of grueling campaign that lawmakers in both parties jockeying for the post have sometimes been forced to perform. But some of the hard-right lawmakers with whom he is attempting to bargain do not appear to have a price, and most care less about legislating than shrinking the federal government — or upending it completely…
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There is little evidence that the former president has swayed any skeptics.
Thirty-six lawmakers voted against Mr. McCarthy in a secret ballot vote last month nominating him for the speakership, and four have already vowed to oppose him during the official vote on the House floor on Jan. 3, in which he needs to win a majority of those present and voting — 218 if every member participates.
Mr. McCarthy has expressed confidence in his ability to secure the votes, pointing out that a plausible challenger has yet to emerge.
“We’ve been making a lot of progress,” he told reporters on Tuesday, adding: “I think people are in a much better place, and I think we’ll all find a place to get together.”
Should he fail to win a majority when the new Congress convenes, members would take successive votes until someone — Mr. McCarthy or a different nominee — secured enough supporters to prevail.
But Republicans agitating against him have insisted that Mr. McCarthy would not be able to win election on the floor, warning that more defectors would emerge in the coming weeks….