Russia collusion hoaxer Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) appears to be taking steps towards his widely-reported ambition to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as House speaker if she retires and Democrats manage to keep control of the House.

Schiff is planning to visit 10 districts this summer, in what Punchbowl News’s Jake Sherman reports is “an attempt to feel Dems out about his leadership ambitions and keep seats in the party’s hands.”

Sherman adds, “SCHIFF has been having conversation [with Democrats] of late about what the next generation of Dem leaders should look like. [H]e believes he has a path to the top job — if and when PELOSI steps down.”

The Los Angeles Times reported in 2018 that Pelosi was “grooming potential successors, among them Rep. Adam Schiff.”

But as Sherman also reported, Schiff’s ambitions may be curbed by his being a “white man in a caucus where the majority is made up of women and people of color.”

“Schiff faces a serious challenge in convincing his colleagues that he’s the party’s future,” Sherman reported.

While Schiff raised his national media profile claiming there was significant “evidence” that former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia, he became a target of widespread mockery among Republicans, including Trump himself, who referred to him as “little pencil neck” and more recently, “watermelon head.” He was infamously pranked by Russian comedians who offered him nude photos of Trump.

Schiff was verbally slammed on national television by former Trump administration spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus, who confronted him on ABC’s “The View” in November about his claims of Russia collusion.

“You defended, promoted and even read into the congressional record the Steele dossier. We know last week the main source of the dossier was indicted by the FBI for lying about most of the key claims in that dossier. Do you have any reflections on your role in promoting this to the American people?” Ortagus asked Schiff directly, before telling him his credibility had been diminished.

In addition, House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is the odds-on favorite to replace Pelosi. There are other candidates, too, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC).

When Punchbowl News asked Schiff about his planned tour, he said, “I keep my conversations with my colleagues private.”

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