Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, and Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., have begun to examine potential replacements for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. in the event conservatives attempt to oust him from his leadership role, according to a report Wednesday.
Meadows was a leading figure in the push to remove former Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, back in 2015. Shortly after this effort, Boehner stepped down.
Bannon, who returned to Breitbart News after his White House departure, has been discussing with right-wing GOP lawmakers how they can carry more weight in the upcoming political agenda for the fall. Meadows and the Freedom Caucus writ large maintain friendly relations with Bannon. Insiders close to Meadows and Bannon said their discussions about potential speaker replacements are casual and not definitive, The Washington Post reports.
Meadows was one of three lawmakers that met with Ryan on Wednesday to voice their concerns with Ryan’s leadership and his ability to make progress on Republican legislation. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., also were present at the meeting. All three are leaders of the Freedom Caucus, which has about 30 members.
They told Ryan that they and other Republican lawmakers will not support him in the fall if conservative policies are not enacted.
Those close to Ryan dismissed the Freedom Caucus and told The Washington Post it is customary for Ryan to meet with critics and address strategy and policy.
“Every single day the speaker talks to members about their concerns, ideas, and anything else they’d like to discuss,” Ashlee Strong, Ryan’s spokeswoman, said in a statement to The Washington Post. “Being accessible to members is part of the job and one he makes a priority.”
