On Wednesday, completely out of the blue, former Speaker of the House John Boehner showed up at the U.S. Capitol, setting off a chain reaction of rumors that he will be chosen as a compromise candidate to serve as the next Speaker of the House.
According to Mediaite:
Former House Speaker John Boehner walked the halls of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday night and sparked a flurry of speculation he could again lead a Republican majority.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is working to get to the 218 votes he needs to secure the speakership. But finding the votes is proving difficult. The GOP will begin the 118th Congress with a slim majority and little room for defectors for the California Republican.
According to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), he and two other conservative Republicans in the House have the votes they need to keep McCarthy from ever being Speaker.
While Boehner isn’t currently an elected member of Congress, the U.S. Constitution doesn’t specify that as a requirement to serve as Speaker.
Boehner’s appearance set off a wave of rumors, conspiracy theories, and other chatter on social media.
