Keep an Eye on Elise Stefanik

Playbook: “Last night, the New York Republican became the first member of GOP leadership to formally endorse Trump’s 2024 campaign — even though it hasn’t yet been announced. The move, which came in the form of a fawning statement in Breitbart, caught some Republicans off guard — especially those who’d prefer that Trump just fade away into the background — and we’ve received more than a few texts musing about the motivations behind it.”

“Stefanik, the congressional darling of MAGA World, is currently running for the No. 4 House leadership post. But many believe her ambitions go well beyond that. With McCarthy staring down a possibly difficult path to the speakership, some Hill GOP sources wonder if she’s eyeing the gavel — though others say that’s unlikely given that the job looks like it will be as thankless as it is grueling, given the slim margin of the expected House majority.”

Publicly at least, she is fully behind McCarthy for the post.