In a surprising turn of events, several Republican members of Congress are rallying behind an effort to elect former President Donald Trump as the speaker of the House next week. The news broke after Republican lawmaker Troy Nehls revealed that he had been contacted by multiple members of Congress willing to support and offer nomination speeches for Trump. Nehls, who was one of the first House members to publicly voice his support for a Trump speakership, made the announcement on Thursday, teasing that "next week is going to be HUGE."

Nehls, a 55-year-old Republican from Texas, immediately pledged to nominate the 77-year-old former president for the post just hours after Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the speaker's chair in a historic vote on Tuesday. Notably, Nehls did not vote to strip McCarthy of his speakership, but he wasted no time in expressing his unwavering support for Trump. He was joined by Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia and Greg Steube from Florida, both of whom also voiced their fervent endorsement for Trump to assume the role of speaker.

Steube took to Twitter to emphasize the momentum behind the "Trump for Speaker" movement, stating that they need someone to unite their conference and that Trump is the only person capable of achieving that. He argued that Trump is synonymous with the “America First” agenda and that this agenda needs to be displayed in the House of Representatives.

Greene echoed Steube's sentiment, calling Trump her “only” choice for speaker. She firmly believed that Trump, as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential primary, would accept the role if elected. Greene expressed her excitement at the prospect of a Trump speakership, envisioning the House chamber becoming like a Trump rally every day and proclaiming it as the "House of MAGA!"

However, there are some obstacles that Trump would have to overcome to assume the speakership. While nominees for House speaker do not need to be sitting members of Congress, the current House GOP rules prohibit those with felony indictments from serving in the role. Trump, who is currently facing 91 charges across four criminal cases, could potentially be disqualified from assuming the position due to these charges, which may result in a sentence of up to 712 years and six months if convicted.

Despite these challenges, House members have been informed that a vote for a new speaker will not take place until next week. It is important to note that Trump did receive one vote for the speakership back in January, albeit on the seventh, eighth, and 11th ballots, and only after Rep. Matt Gaetz nominated him.

The Republican Party's call for Trump to fill the vacancy left by Kevin McCarthy's ousting has caused a stir, with Republicans squabbling over who should assume the position. At least three Republican representatives have underscored their belief that Trump should enter Congress to "make the House great again." Reports suggest that Trump has been open to approaches from Republican representatives about filling the position on a “short-term” basis. If Trump were to assume the role, he would become third in line to the presidency in the order of succession.

This unprecedented move to elect a former president as speaker of the House has drawn attention and speculation. It remains to be seen whether Trump's criminal charges will hinder his chances of assuming the speakership or if the Republican Party will unite behind him in this endeavor. As the House reconvenes next week, all eyes will be on the unfolding drama and the potential ramifications of a Trump speakership.