Could Donald Trump run for Congress, then House speaker in 2022? Former president says idea is 'very interesting'

Donald Trump for Congress?

It sounds like a far-fetched idea, but the former president appeared to express interest in starting his political comeback in the U.S. House during an interview with radio host Wayne Allyn Root on Friday afternoon. Root pitched Trump on the idea of running for a U.S. House seat from Florida next year and then seeking to become House Speaker should Republicans win the majority in the 2022 midterm elections.

From that position, Root said, Trump could "wipe" Biden out as the Republican leader and then run for president again in 2024.

"Why not, instead of waiting for 2024, and I'm hoping you'll run in 2024, but why not run in 2022 for the United States Congress? A House seat in Florida. Win big. Lead us to a dramatic landslide victory. Take the House by 50 seats," he told Trump.

"Then you become the Speaker of the House, lead the impeachment of Biden and start criminal investigations against Biden. You'll wipe him out for this last two years," continued the radio host.

Trump appeared to like what he was hearing.

"That's so interesting," the former president said. "You know, It's very interesting."

He added that other people have suggest he run for Senate, "but you know what, your idea might be better."

Root isn't the first person to float the idea of Trump running for Congress. Back in February, 2016 Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon told a group of Republicans in Boston that Trump should unseat Speaker Pelosi and launch an impeachment investigation against Biden.

"We totally get rid of Nancy Pelosi, and the first act of President Trump as Speaker [of the House] will be to impeach Joe Biden for his illegitimate activities of stealing the presidency," Bannon said.

The plan would require several events to break in Trump's favor. First, he'd have to find a House district in Florida where he could win the Republican primary (not difficult) and go on to victory in the general election (more difficult, depending on the district). Then, Republicans would have to win control of the House and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) would need to be willing to step aside to make way for Trump as Speaker.

But a leading Republican like McCarthy putting aside his own ambitions to avoid crossing Trump wouldn't exactly be surprising. Trump's impending decisions on his political future have frozen most of the Republican candidates who want to run for president in 2024 but do not want to challenge Trump in a primary. Since losing the White House to President Joe Biden, Trump has dropped several hints about his intention to run again but has made no firm commitments to doing so.

The former president's political ambitions remain complicated, however, by a criminal investigation into his business dealings led by New York prosecutors. A special grand jury was convened at the end of May to consider evidence and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is widely expected to seek criminal charges against Trump.

Trump has slammed the probe as "purely political" and by all indications he has no intention of letting it interrupt his plans. He will speak at the North Carolina GOP convention on Saturday, rallying Republicans in the swing state ahead of a crucial Senate election next year. Later this summer the former president's campaign-style rallies are expected to resume as he travels the nation in support of various Republican candidates.

Is Trump seriously considering a run for U.S. House? It's impossible to know for sure. But the media interest in his comments on Root's radio show demonstrates how everyone is waiting to see what Donald Trump will do next.

Senior Trump aide Jason Miller put it this way: "I don't think anyone is having more fun right now than President Donald J. Trump."