Axios reports that the Republican troops are restless in light of Paul Ryan's decision not to run for reelection:
One source close to leadership told us: "Scuttlebutt is that Paul will have to step down from speakership soon. Members won’t follow a lame duck, he’ll have no leverage to cut deals, and the last thing they need in this environment is 6 months of palace intrigue and everyone stabbing everyone else in the back."
The story reports that a senior Republican predicts Ryan will be gone by the end of July.
The other question is whether donors want him to stay on. "They don’t want to operate until November in a climate where every move from every member of leadership is viewed through the prism of jostling for the speakership," Axios reports.
Will Trump weigh in? He really likes House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, but his advisers will want him to stay out of it.
