Manu Raju

Manu Raju @mkraju

After Stefanik nominates McCarthy and Aguilar nominates Jeffries, Gosar nominates Biggs for speaker. Roll call vote starting momentarily. No one will get 218 on the first ballot — something that has happened in 100 years — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

McCarthy added: “If these individuals come to me in the last day, saying they need gavels, they need positions, not because the conference selected them, that is not a place that we can be united … That is looking at themselves and not looking at the country.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“As leader for four years, all I've done was win,” McCarthy said moments before he walked on the floor. “This is about a conference trying to get united, but a few who think they should win something, not based upon merit.” https://t.co/DPhaycZwYk — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“No,” McCarthy told me, saying there is NO scenario in which he drops out of the race. He says they can’t “give in” to a few members who want something they can’t get — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Incoming Rep. George Santos is not answering questions on the Hill about the apparent wide swath of lies on his resume. But he did say he’s supporting McCarthy. “Yes, I am," he said, per @KateSullivanDC. McCarthy has refused to comment about Santos — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

In the first sign of the new GOP majority, House officials removed the metal detectors that Nancy Pelosi had installed after Jan. 6. The removal came as the 118th Congress convened at noon — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Rep. Dan Crenshaw on bloc of hardliners determined to block McCarthy: "They are enemies now," he told me. "They have made it clear that they prefer a Democrat agenda than a Republican one." https://t.co/w0LFmbFEED — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

With @DavidChalian and @KateBolduan on the messy and hugely significant day to come https://t.co/oWY7e9zUsB — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

The 117th Congress is now officially sine die. The 118th Congress comes in at noon today — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

And he added: “They even came to the position where one Matt Gaetz said I don't care if we go to plurality and we elect Hakeem Jeffries, and it hurts the new frontline members not to get reelected." — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“Last night I was presented the only way to have 218 votes if I provided certain members with certain positions certain gavels to take over certain Committee to have certain budgets,” he said. — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

McCarthy says he is NOT dropping out. “There are times we're going to have to argue with our own members if they're looking at for only positions for themselves, not for the country,” he said. — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

RT @AnnieGrayerCNN: Perry & McCarthy got in a heated back and forth, even raising their voices- Perry accused McCarthy of not having a tra… — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Bob Good told me that even if McCarthy agreed to all their concessions, he is still a NO. They’ve had a dispute lingering since Good’s past primary win, but he said that he told McCarthy nothing he could offer him would get him to YES. More on the dilemma: https://t.co/g3pLnJ5TvB — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Very tense behind closed doors now. McCarthy is teeing off on his opponents and saying they don’t know how to get to yes. He is signaling he is done negotiating. A McCarthy ally, Mike Rogers, says members who oppose McCarthy could lose committee assignments. Chip Roy pushing back — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Source tells @MZanona that Boebert yelled out “bullshit” in response to McCarthy’s speech — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Behind closed doors, McCarthy is raising his voice and is animated as he tees off on his opponents and details all the concessions he has made and that it hasn’t been good enough, per two sources. “I’ve earned this job,” he said. His opponents have yet to speak. — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“We will not vote for anyone else but McCarthy,” Crenshaw said. “These people think they're stubborn, we’re more stubborn.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“That should have been the end of it because that's how a team works, right? But if you're a narcissist, … then you'll keep going. And you'll threaten to tear down the team for the benefit of the Democrats just because of your own sense of self importance.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“This handful of members is very clearly looking for notoriety over principle. That's what it is. And anyone who suggests differently is in some kind of make believe fantasy reality. It's not, it's not true,” he said, adding: “They lost those debates.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Dan Crenshaw teeing off this morning on the bloc of hardliners seeking McCarthy’s ouster. Calls them “enemies” and “narcissists.” “They are enemies now. They have made it clear that they prefer a Democrat agenda than a Republican,” he told me — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

But Clark didn’t rule out voting to adjourn the House if the voting drags out. It would require 218 votes to adjourn during the speaker’s vote. ”We’re going to make decisions as we see how this unfolds,” she said. — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Dems in no hurry to bail out GOP if McCarthy can’t get 218. There’s been some talk of Republicans seeking Democratic support for a candidate if McCarthy can’t get there. Katherine Clark, the No. 2 Dem, signaled that won’t happen. “Our candidate is Hakeem Jeffries,” she told me — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Problem for McCarthy as he struggles to get 218. Perry has signaled he’s a NO but hasn’t explicitly said so —> — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

After leaving McCarthy’s office, she added: “That’s not what we need to do as a party. That's why Republicans fail and I'm really tired of it,” per @morgan_rimmer — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

MTG, who backs McCarthy, said tonight: “If my friends in the Freedom Caucus, Matt Gaetz and others, will not take the win when they have it, they're proving to the country that they don't care about doing the right thing for America. They're proving ..they're just destructionist” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Rep. Bacon said he couldn't support Scalise if he emerged as a candidate. "I like Steve, so this isn't about Steve," Bacon said. "This is about five or six people taking hostages and us caving to them." — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

RT @TheLeadCNN: As Kevin McCarthy struggles to lock down the votes to become House Speaker, his top deputy is keeping his head down @mkraju… — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Part of the challenge for 'Never Kevin' Republicans is that the concessions McCarthy agreed to need to be approved by the full House. Yet a number of Rs are threatening to vote against that rules package if McCarthy goes down, adding more uncertainty to any alternative candidate — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Bob Good, part of the five hard NO votes, said that McCarthy is in a “desperate place” to become speaker and suggested his word couldn’t be trusted as he makes promises in the eleventh hour. “We shouldn’t be in a hurry to make a bad decision,” Good told me — PolitiTweet.org