This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Barack Obama took satirical aim at the Republican party’s struggle to find a new speaker of the House of Representatives on Saturday, opening a San Francisco fundraiser by telling more than 1,000 donors the rapper Kanye West was thinking about running for the job.

'It looks like chaos and it is': Paul Ryan under pressure over House speaker job Read more

West, who was scheduled to perform at the event, recently said he would run for president in 2020. The speaker of the House is third in line for the job.

West has also spoken positively of Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who is running second in polls of the 15-strong field for the Republican presidential nomination. In an interview with Vanity Fair last month, West said Carson was “the most brilliant guy”.

In return, Carson – in one of his less-controversial recent pronouncements – has spoken well of West and floated the idea of giving him a job in the White House.

Carson said: “Well, I am certainly willing to give him a chance. He’ll be able to explain things and see if he resonates with the people.”

Boehner announced his shock resignation last month. This week the favourite to replace him, House majority leader Kevin McCarthy, withdrew in the face of a challenge from the right of the party.

Pressure was then brought to bear on Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin representative and chair of the House ways and means committee who was Mitt Romney’s running mate in the 2012 presidential election. Ryan has said repeatedly he does not want to run for the job.

Other contenders include Jason Chaffetz of Utah, who says he can unify the Republican party’s warring factions, and Daniel Webster of Florida, the preferred candidate of the extreme right. Darrell Issa of California has indicated a willingness to run if Ryan does not.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Speaking on Friday, majority leader Kevin McCarthy said Paul Ryan, although reluctant, would make an ‘amazing’ speaker of the House.

Obama was in San Francisco and Los Angeles on Saturday for four fundraisers. At the first event, NBA star Stephen Curry and other members of the Golden State Warriors warmed up the crowd. Those attending the Democratic National Committee fundraiser had paid between $250 and $10,000 for the privilege.

Obama encouraged the audience to be politically active and said he planned to remain so when his presidency concludes, saying: “I’m just getting started.”