The No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives, Steve Scalise, shockingly drops out of the race for speaker as chaos reigns in the Republican Party

Steve Scalise has dropped out of the race for Speaker in a stunning development.

Scalise, the No. 2 Republican in the House, had won an election among Republicans and was named their nominee for speaker after Kevin McCarthy was ousted last week.

Given Republicans’ slim majority, he could only afford to lose four votes in the House of Representatives – but over a dozen Republicans remained stubborn in their opposition to him.

“Our conference has yet to come together and she’s not here.” “There are still some people who have their own plans,” Scalise told reporters after meeting with House Republicans and announcing his plans.

The list of Republicans who say they will reject Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the No. 2 Republican in the House, for the job has grown longer, not shorter, since his election in the conference

“Some people need to look in the mirror in the next few days and decide to get back on track. “You can try to get back on track or you can pursue your own agenda, but you can’t do both do.”

Still, Scalise seemed optimistic that Republicans could coalesce around a speaker who could be elected on the floor.

“I think we’ll do it. “I was very clear and articulate in that room,” he said. “It won’t happen tomorrow, it has to happen soon.”

Tensions have run high on Capitol Hill over the course of 10 days, and Republicans have no candidate for speaker.

“Dysfunctional, disorganized and broken,” is how Texas Rep. Troy Nehls, who wants to make Donald Trump speaker of the House of Representatives, described his party after leaving a Republican meeting in the House of Representatives.

“I don’t believe the Lord Jesus could reach 217!” Nehls recalled one member saying in the meeting.

“We’re not moving forward,” said Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., who admitted she’s worried about how the disorder will affect her swing district race in 2024.

“We have a war in Israel…It’s really frustrating.”

Scalise and Donald Trump’s ally Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee, faced off in an internal House Republican vote in which Scalise won 113-99.