Breitbart campaigns for Freedom Caucus leader Mark Meadows as House Speaker
Right-wing media outlet Breitbart has thrown its weight behind conservative Freedom Caucus leader Mark Meadows as the true Speaker of the House, according to Axios.
This, as Rep. Paul Ryan technically holds the House Speaker title and leads as the designated leader of the 238 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.
"Mark Meadows is the acting Speaker of the House," a source familiar with Breitbart's editorial operations reportedly told Axios. "Expect Breitbart coverage to reflect that."
When the House on Thursday passed a revised version of the GOP's American Health Care Act -- a bill crafted to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's signature Affordable Care Act law -- many news outlets ran stories with images of Speaker Ryan, President Trump and even House Majority Whip Steve Scalise.
Breitbart, though, chose an image of Rep. Meadows to run with their article, making a clear statement on who they believe was to credit for the AHCA's House passage.
RELATED: A look at members of the Freedom Caucus
Meadows came out against the initial version of the AHCA when it was released back in March, publishing an op-ed that called for a "clean repeal." Lack of support from the Freedom Caucus forced Speaker Ryan to pull the bill from the floor in late March, an embarrassing moment that prompted President Trump to publically go after Meadows and the Freedom Caucus.
"We were close. Some of the members of that caucus were voting with us," Ryan added, speaking of the Freedom Caucus, "but not enough were."
Axios' Jonathan Swan explains the context for Breitbart's position on Meadows,
"None of this should be surprising. Breitbart's editorial team, led by Matthew Boyle, has had a vendetta against Ryan from day one. Just weeks after Ryan took the Speakership, Steve Bannon sent an internal email saying the "long game" was for Ryan to be out of a job by spring."
Ryan received a standing ovation when he rose for his floor remarks before the final AHCA vote on Thursday -- an indicator that not everyone in the Republican party shares Breitbart's view on Meadows' party leadership.
A senior GOP aide reportedly commented on Meadows' Speaker prospects to Axios, saying, "Meadows would never get 218 votes. Not even close. He's despised by many in our conference."
RELATED: Notable members of the 115th Congress
