Former congressman Justin Amash faced mockery on Twitter Wednesday for suggesting that he should be voted House speaker as a compromise amid Rep-elect Kevin McCarthy's, R-Calif., struggles to secure the leadership position.
"Former Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) is standing just outside the Speaker’s Lobby telling reporters that he’s willing and interested in serving as a compromise Speaker," Alex Bolton, a staff writer for The Hill, reported.
Amash, who was first elected in 2010, was at the Capitol as the House still debated and voted on who should be speaker. Republicans control a slim five-seat majority in the lower chamber, which has left McCarthy struggling to get the 218 votes needed to become speaker. After six failed votes, McCarthy and his allies are negotiating with the 20 Republican holdouts.
However, there is discussion about the possibility of moderate Republicans joining Democrats to nominate and vote for a moderate Republican as speaker. Amash, the former Republican turned Independent turned Libertarian, threw his name out as a possibility.
Sarah Ferris, a congressional reporter for Politico, tweeted "Ok now we've seen it all folks Former Justin Amash is here outside House chamber pitching a different kind of speaker candidate: himself 'I'm here in case they want that as a possibility.'"
"To that end, I am on standby if Bill Gates needs someone to inherit his wealth," conservative author Eddie Scarry replied.
"Amash is the definition of a jabroni," Greg Price, a political strategist, tweeted.
"Me pitching myself as the next boyfriend for Ana de Armas," podcast producer Isaac Lee joked.
Former Obama senior advisor David Pfeiffer shared a gif with the text "What about me?"
However, Amash did receive some praise from fellow Libertarians,
Bekah Congdon, managing editor of Cato Institute, tweeted "With our country facing so many challenges, we need a #Speakerofthehouse who can heal divisions. @JustinAmash is the perfect candidate for this role. He is a thoughtful, even-handed leader who is respected across party lines for his integrity and dedication to principle."
Ryan Graham, political director of the Libertarian Party of Georgia, tweeted "Justin Amash for Speaker of the House!"
Amash left the Republican Party during the Trump administration and voted to impeach Trump during the first impeachment trial.
McCarthy lost his sixth vote for House speaker Wednesday evening. A group of conservative populist Republicans including Rep. Matt Gaetz, Fla., and Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colo., among others have said they will not support McCarthy.
