Top House GOPer Lists ‘Valley Forge Americans’ Who’d Make Good Speakers (VIDEO)

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A member of the conservative caucus that effectively forced House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) out of the speaker’s race said Friday one of the GOP’s true “Valley Forge Americans” should succeed John Boehner.

In an interview with MSNBC, Freedom Caucus member Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), offered a roll call of acceptable candidates for speaker. He named Reps. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Tom Price (R-GA), and Jim Jordan (R-OH). He even mentioned Newt Gingrich, who was speaker from 1995 to 1999.

“I hear a lot of names. All of those men are Valley Forge Americans that would serve this country very well,” Franks said, referencing the winter military camp where more than 2,500 of George Washington’s troops died of starvation and exposure during the Revolutionary War.

Franks also said Ryan “is somebody that I have great respect for and believe could be a magnificent speaker.”

Ryan said again Friday he was “still not running” for speaker, despite party leaders gunning for the former vice presidential nominee to enter the race.

Watch the exchange below:

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