Rep. Steve King Steven (Steve) Arnold KingTrump, Biden deadlocked in Iowa: poll GOP leader: 'There is no place for QAnon in the Republican Party' Loomer win creates bigger problem for House GOP MORE (R-Iowa) says his fellow House Republicans "are considering" removing Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.), who has announced he is retiring after this Congress.

“It’s kind of odd that he has as much power as he has,” King said in an interview with Breitbart News Tonight released Friday.

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“But I do predict, and it is happening, that that power is diminishing. I also have got information that there are — I’ll say ‘members’ — I say that plurally, with knowledge, that are considering introducing a motion to vacate the chair,” King continued. “If they do that, that will throw this place into a tizzy and force the kind of election for a Speaker that may bring out someone who is a lot stronger on this.”

Speculation has been growing among rank-and-file Republicans that Ryan won't be able to hold on to his gavel for the rest of the year, though few are calling on him to resign early.

Last month, Ryan pushed back on reports that he may be asked to step down.

“From the time that Paul Ryan announced that he would be retiring at the end of this Congress, his juice has been diminished day by day by day,” King said. “It’s not a personal thing. It’s just a function of how things work.”

“He has less power, less influence, and yet he’s still leading us into this amnesty piece. People are acting like he’s the Speaker of the House who will be deciding who can chair which committees, who can be seated on which committees, and whose bills move forward in the next Congress,” King said. “But that will not be the case.”

The outgoing Speaker has said he hopes to use his remaining time in office to raise money for his party and campaign to defend the House majority as the November midterm elections approach.

Instead, according to a few Hill GOP sources, the Speaker faces opposition on several fronts as his grip on the party wanes following his retirement announcement on April 11.

“Obviously I serve at the pleasure of the members. Those are the people who drafted me in this job in the first place,” Ryan told reporters last month. “But I think we all agree, the best thing for us is to complete our agenda and not wedge into the middle of the completion of our agenda divisive leadership elections.”