Revealed: MAGA plot may keep some Democrats from holding office after Tuesday’s elections

A proposed oath challenge

Under the theory, the House would hold deliberations and vote on whether to swear in the challenged member-elect, rather than administering the oath to all 435 members at once. The procedure could affect the composition of Congress if used successfully.

DSA-backed candidates in focus

Three candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America defeated Democratic incumbents in primaries this year. The theory has been discussed as a way to challenge such candidates’ entry into the House.

Texas Rep. Keith Self told Fox News he could invoke the maneuver. He said the House had a duty to ensure members take the oath “in good faith,” and argued that anyone who had embraced the Constitution’s destruction should not be sworn in, according to Self.

The proposal faces obstacles

The plan would depend on how House leaders handle a challenge. If House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, becomes speaker, he could dismiss it, according to the report. Johnson indicated he could dismiss such a challenge when speaking with reporters at an event in Iowa earlier this month. He called efforts to refuse seats to elected Democrats a “nonsense narrative” and said, “We are going to follow the law.”