BREAKING: Tom Emmer withdraws from House Speaker race

On Tuesday evening, just hours after winning the GOP nomination for House Speaker, Rep Tom Emmer dropped out of the race, Rep Lance Gooden confirmed to USA Today.

This comes after over 20 party members have said that they won't vote for Emmer in the floor vote.

Ahead of Emmer's decision to drop out of the race, 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump issued a statement on Truth Social calling Emmer a "RINO."

"I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA-MAKE AMERICAN GREAT AGAIN!"

According to The Hill, in a secondary roll call vote 26 Republican members voted present or for another person. Emmer can only afford to lose four votes on the floor.

Emmer won the nomination in the fifth round of voting, garnering 117 votes to Mike Johnson’s 97. In each round, Emmers emerged as the favorite among the seven candidates that made it to the secret ballot. One candidate, Gary Palmer, dropped out of the race before the secret ballot.

Tuesday marks three weeks since Matt Gaetz and seven other Republicans moved to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, after a stopgap bill was passed to keep the government funded until November 17, 24 days away.