Can a non-member of Congress be speaker of the House? (2023)
www.cbsnews.com

... As Republicans in the House of Representatives debate who should lead the lower chamber, it's notable that the House speaker -- who is second in line for the presidency -- doesn't have to be a member of Congress.

The House has never been led by a non-member in its 234 years of existence, according to the Congressional Research Service, and experts say a non-member speaker is still unlikely. But it is possible. ...

The Constitution has very few requirements to be House speaker. The person must be nominated by a member of the House, then chosen by a majority of the full membership of the House. For a House with 435 members, that's 218 votes, although there are two vacancies right now.

"The House of Representatives shall chuse their speaker and other officers," the Constitution reads.[1] ...

Wow, yeah, it says "chuse."

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1 - constitution.congress.gov