Rep.-elect Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., said the standoff over who is named House speaker is an embarrassment.
Zinke, who has supported Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., for the post, made his comments during an interview on CNN on Thursday.
"I think it's embarrassing," Zinke said. "I'm one that if you have differences, then solve the differences internally. Don't run them up the flagpole and show disorganization and dysfunction, not only to America but the world — because the world is watching us.
"Now, there's a lot of hard feelings on both sides. Again, you have 90% of the [Republican] caucus standing firmly behind Kevin McCarthy. Is he perfect? No. I don't think anyone is perfect. "
Zinke said the House can't begin to address the problems facing the U.S. without first naming a speaker.
Asked if former President Donald Trump has influence over who is voted in as speaker, Zinke, the former interior secretary under Trump, said: "We'll see. Certainly, yesterday he did not have influence because it really didn't change any votes.
"I worked for him, and there are probably a couple of things that President Trump probably finds to be an irritant — one is to be ignored, and two is to be called out."
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., who has not supported McCarthy, referred to Trump in a speech on the House floor on Wednesday, The Hill reported.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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