File this under Too Weird To Happen, but then again, how much weirder is it than a reality TV actor with no prior political experience being elected president of the United States? This is from a Facebook post, February 25.
The post was flagged “Legal, But Not Plausible.” That said, Donald Trump is the poster child for implausibility. Here’s some explanation and explication from PolitiFact:
Mark Herron, a Florida election lawyer, told PolitiFact that he doesn’t see any residency issues clouding Trump’s ability to run for the U.S. House representing a Florida district.
He cited Article I, section 2, of the Constitution, which says, “No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.”
He wouldn’t even have to run in his own congressional district, which, as it happens, is strongly Democratic. The district’s representative, Democrat Lois Frankel, won by about 20 points in 2020, and Trump lost it by about 17 points in the same election.
Instead, Trump could run in a safer Republican seat elsewhere in the state without moving. The courts have consistently ruled that states cannot pile on extra requirements to run for the House beyond those laid out in the Constitution.
There would even be precedent for a former president moving to the House: John Quincy Adams served as president from 1825 to 1829 and then in the House from 1831 to his death in 1848.
“If he wins the seat and Republicans take over the House of Representatives, he could become the Speaker of the House.”
Given the narrow Democratic margin in the House, it’s entirely plausible that the GOP could take over the chamber after the 2022 elections. And if they did, a Rep. Trump could be elected speaker.
Ironically, he wouldn’t even have to run and win a House seat to become speaker.
“A speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress,” said John Fortier, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. “That said, we have never elected a speaker from outside the House. But it is constitutionally permissible.”
Pass the aspirin bottle.
If “ifs” and “buts” were candy and nuts it would be Christmas all year long.
Unmentioned above: this is Steve Bannon’s latest pipe dream. He talked about this two weeks ago, which is where the poster likely got this joke of a plan. Treat this like the BS it is with that in mind.
Clutching at straws only works if the camel’s back is already broken
Lot of “if”s in that “plan”. I don’t think he’d get far in the House. The speaker needs to be competent, for one thing.
Well, that’s only been applicable to DEMOCRATIC Speakers in the past quarter century. I mean, were Newt Gingrich, Dennis Hastert, John Boehner or Paul Ryan REALLY “competent?”
God willing that this would happen because then we could get back to normal governing get the jobs done for the American people! I along with 70m people will pray for this to take place.
The 81 million who voted for the ACTUAL winner of the election might differ with you on that. What is it with legality and lawful process, and actual reality, that you morons have trouble coping with ?
This comment will never appear but it’s sad they have so much invested in this sorry, doddering old fool.
A sad fantasy.