House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on Thursday, only a day after announcing his intent to retire, implied in a remark to reporters that he wants Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to succeed him.
Ryan said in his weekly press conference that he was glad Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said he would not oppose McCarthy should he run for the position. Neither Scalise nor McCarthy has officially announced a bid for the Speakership, but legislators expect both to do so eventually.
"I wouldn't run against Kevin. He and I are good friends,” Scalise said on Fox News Thursday morning. "I've got a job right now as the House majority whip and there's a lot more we need to do," he added.
"I was encouraged that Steve Scalise said this morning that he thinks, you know, that after the election that Kevin McCarthy ought to be the person to replace me after the elections," Ryan said, according to CNN. "I think that is encouraging because what it shows you is that we have an intact leadership team that supports each other that is all heading into the right direction."
He added that "a lot of members" think he should remain as Speaker until the midterm elections in November, highlighting his fundraising abilities.
"I've talked to a lot of members -- a lot of members -- who think that it's in all our best interest for this leadership team to stay in place and run through the tape," Ryan said. "It is obviously in our interest to keeping our majority that every player is on the field fighting for this majority, raising for this majority and it makes no sense to take the biggest fundraiser off the field and I think almost all our members see it that way as well."
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