Advisers to Donald Trump questioned Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz's comment indicating the former president supported the effort to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., NBC News reported.
McCarthy on Tuesday became the first speaker to be removed after Gaetz forced a vote on the "motion to vacate." Eight conservative Republicans joined with all 208 Democrats to oust McCarthy.
Before the vote, Trump posted a Truth Social comment regarding GOP infighting.
"Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren't they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our Country?" Trump posted.
After the House vote, Gaetz suggested he had Trump's backing.
"My conversations with the former president leave me with great confidence that I did the right thing," Gaetz told reporters.
Trump advisers, though, had their doubts.
"I point you to President Trump's Truth from earlier today," adviser Chris LaCivita said.
Another Trump adviser also directed NBC News to the Truth Social post.
"Let's hear Trump say that," a Trump ally said after hearing Gaetz's words.
The ally, though, added: "By Matt coming out and saying what he just said, the president owns this, whether he likes it or not."
Trump, in New York this week to attend the beginning of his civil fraud trial, has not addressed Gaetz's effort to remove McCarthy as speaker.
The former president currently is the clear front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
In January, when McCarthy was trying to secure the speakership in the 118th Congress, Trump spoke to lawmakers via the phone and publicly endorsed the Californian.
McCarthy eventually became speaker after a 15-round floor fight.
NBC News reported that Trump spoke to some lawmakers during the recent fight to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. The former president reportedly told some conservative members that they ultimately could do whatever they had to do, a source told the outlet.
However, some conservative members who heard from Trump during the funding fight did not hear from him over the effort to oust McCarthy, NBC News reported.
Until the House votes to find a new speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., will serve as interim speaker.
McCarthy said Tuesday that he will not run again for speaker.