He said it – finally.

Steve Bannon said it. It was more than a question. It was a PLEA!

Regarding the failure to elect a House speaker, Bannon said: "Why not Trump? Why not Trump?"

"You have to get someone in the room for what the big issues are – and we know what the big issues are," said Bannon. "It's the investigations. We have to stop the madness. We have to stop the insanity of the global elites who run this country. It must be stopped, and it must be stopped now. If it isn't stopped now, it's over. We're not going to be the constitutional republic that we were bequeathed.

"I would like to get Mark Levin and all the constitutional republicans to join us in this cause. Because you're not going to have the constitutional republic if they still have ability to spend us into oblivion while they take all of the value and the they take all of the wealth. And that's the system we have. … So my vote now is 'why not Trump?' If you need a nasty piece of work in the room negotiating, give me the nastiest. And Trump is a beast. Why not Trump? Why not Trump? Why not? Why not?"

This is where it all started: me asking the question on Jan. 3, 2021, and Steve Bannon backing me up a few days later. I couldn't let go of the idea. Other people picked it up.

Then Rep. Matt Gaetz put his name into the mix Thursday, voting for Trump for speaker on the seven round of balloting. Later Gaetz nominated Trump for speaker, prior to the 11th roll call vote.