Washington DC – Republicans nominated Majority Whip Tom Emmer to replace the ousted US House speaker Tuesday, but after his prospects for uniting the fractured party after weeks of chaos looked slim, he bowed out of the race.

Congress has been at a standstill and unable to address multiple global crises, as well as the fast approaching threat of a government shutdown, since the historic dismissal of Kevin McCarthy in a right-wing rebellion on October 3.

Emmer emerged victorious from a series of secret ballots in a crowded field of potential replacements – but hours after he won the nomination, he officially dropped out of the race, according to multiple reports.

It appears Republicans are back to the drawing board again.

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Backlash against the 62-year-old establishment favorite began immediately, with as many as two dozen lawmakers – led by former president Donald Trump – indicating they would not support his bid for the gavel.

Emmer was very much the party's Plan D, with McCarthy still popular among the majority of House Republicans, and two potential replacements winning the nomination only to be humiliated as large sections of the party refused to back them in the House.

Politicians will soon find themselves presiding over a government shutdown unless they can cut a 2024 budget deal. The House Speaker will also be expected to lead his deeply fractured conference through upcoming fights over funding for Ukraine and Israel in their conflicts with Russia and Hamas.

The process to elect a House Speaker still remains deeply mired in uncertainty.

Each of the candidates pledged to back the eventual nominee, but there has been little evidence so far that anyone has sufficient support to win 217 votes – the majority on the House floor – and seize the gavel.

The nominee can afford to lose just four Republicans and still claim the speakership if every Democrat votes against them.

Republicans had reportedly lined up in the room earlier in the day to complain about Emmer's record of support for Ukraine aid and same-sex marriage as well as questioning his loyalty to Trump.

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Like the majority of House Republicans, Emmer had baselessly sown doubt over the validity of Biden's 2020 election win over Trump, but supporters of the former president were angered by the majority whip voting to certify the result.

Trump was clearly not a fan, and perhaps influenced his decision to bow out.

"I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors. RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them," Trump posted on his website Truth Social on Tuesday.

RINO – short for "Republican in name only" – is a disparaging label Trump uses for members of the party who fall out of his favor.