Emmer's withdrawal came just hours after the House Republican Conference nominated him as speaker-designate, and was prompted by opposition to his bid by more than 20 members, US Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) told reporters, according to a Sputnik correspondent.
The Minnesota contender managed to earlier secure the nomination after five rounds of a closed-door voting session with party members, having bested fellow US Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA).
In order to secure the gavel, Emmer could only have afforded to lose four Republican lawmakers. Reports indicated some 26 representatives opposed him.
Among the individuals who opposed Emmer's nomination were Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and former US President Donald Trump, who said Emmer was a "Republican in name only" who "would be a tragic mistake" for the party.
Trump further remarked that Emmer was "totally out of touch with Republican voters" and that he had "never respected" the former president's endorsements "or the breadth and scope of MAGA."
The Tuesday development marks the third speaker-designee that House Republicans have lost in less than three weeks since the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the speakership. Last week, Republicans momentarily threw their backing for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) but dropped him after he lost three floor votes.
A congressional source told Sputnik that Johnson and US Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) may be back in the race to become the next speaker of the US House of Representatives, although nothing is certain.