The race for Speaker of the House just took a sharp turn toward MAGA land as former President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4) for Speaker.
“Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, D.C., representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site early Friday. “He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!”
The Associated Press reported the announcement came hours after Texas Rep. Troy Nehls said Thursday night that Trump had decided to back Jordan’s bid and after Trump said he would be open to serving as interim leader himself if Republicans couldn’t settle on a successor to former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, who was stripped of the gavel on Monday.
Jordan is a conservative stalwart who founded the House Freedom Caucus, and was one of Trump’s prominent defenders in Congress during his presidency. But while the former president’s endorsement might make him the top choice among the MAGA Movement grassroots, it’s unclear how the moderate Republicans whose support he needs to become Speaker will vote.
And to some alleged Republicans Trump’s endorsement is the kiss of death.
Lauren Irwin, writing for The Hill, reported former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) thinks Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will lose the Speakership vote if House Republicans choose him to fill the currently vacant seat.
“If the Republicans decide that Jim Jordan should be the Speaker of the House … by the way, I don’t think that will happen, I think he’ll lose,” Cheney said in a speech Thursday at the University of Minnesota.
However, that’s not how a group of conservative leaders, led by fellow Ohioan Ken Blackwell see it.
Blackwell, a former Ohio Secretary of State, issued a statement asking for other conservative movement leaders to join him in backing Rep. Jordan:
Congressman Jim Jordan has consistently been on the front lines for the Conservative Movement and all Americans since elected. His voting record, chairmanship of the House Freedom Caucus, and chairmanship of the committees on the Judiciary and Weaponization of the Federal Government speak to his effectiveness. Just this Congress, Jordan has passed the strongest immigration and border enforcement bill ever, stopped IRS agents from making unannounced house calls, and held the corrupt Biden DOJ and FBI accountable.
Conservatives should support a leader who will hold the Biden Administration accountable, cut reckless spending, and change Washington forever.
However, Republicans are, at this moment, far from united behind Jim Jordan.
Minnesota Congressman and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer announced he is running for House majority leader, while at the same time, endorsing current Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) in his bid for McCarthy's vacated position.
Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) has likewise endorsed Mr. Scalise.
Congresswoman Hinson (IA-02) also has come out for Steve Scalise and released the following statement in support of Mr. Scalise as the next Speaker of the House.
“We need a Speaker who will unite our historically thin majority so we can put the drama behind us and help deliver the most conservative legislation possible as we are faced with several looming and important deadlines. Steve Scalise is the right person for the job and has my full support to be our Speaker.
"Not only is Steve a principled conservative, he has overcome adversity far beyond the infighting in our Conference right now. He has the grit, strength, and faith to lead us and deliver for the American people.
"Steve shared with me his forward-looking vision to unite Republicans, bring conservative spending bills to the Floor, and advance the priorities of Iowans. He loves our country, understands our Conference, and is uniquely positioned to protect and grow our Republican majority.”
The Washington Examiner is hosting a live endorsement tracker here and so far it looks like Jim Jordan is running away with the endorsements.
And then there’s one unlikely “endorsement” Jim Jordan once received from another fellow Ohioan, former Speaker of the House John Boehner, to consider.
Boehner once called Jim Jordan a "legislative terrorist" in a Politico interview, “Jordan was a terrorist as a legislator going back to his days in the Ohio House and Senate,” Boehner said.
Suddenly, reading that Boehner quote we are reminded of the old Jim Jordan who, along with Mark Meadows and a few other conservatives, founded the Freedom Caucus to oppose Boehner, Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy’s brand of “dime store Democrat” Republican leadership.
It is a long way between here and the final vote to elect a new Speaker of the House. We still like Byron Donalds better, but if the old "legislative terrorist" version of Jim Jordan gets it, we would be satisfied.
Government Shutdown
Kevin McCarthy
Steve Scalise
Jim Jordan
vacate the chair
Candidate switches
lawfare
Matt Gaetz
Congressional leadership
Freedom Caucus
Byron Donalds
Donald Trump endorses Jim Jordan
Pay attention to the GOP party splitting RINOS as they try to paint Trump as a negative force. Real Conservatives need to defund them ASAP. Trump's poll numbers are great despite the far lefts faux legal assault. The Marxist democrat policies are certifiable crazy. How they maintain control of their followers will baffle historians and shame their offspring.
“We need a Speaker who will unite our historically thin majority. . ." And therein lies a problem. A united majority may sound good, but Republican majorities have historically been wishy-washy at best, rarely keeping their promises to the electorate. We need strong leadership that will steer the party in the right direction. If you campaign on repealing Obamacare, for instance, repeal Obamacare. If you campaign on reducing the federal debt, reduce the federal debt. Don't just talk, do it!
p.s. Thank God I won't be getting a dozen or so texts and emails every day, allegedly from Kevin McCarthy, asking me to send money so they can do what they were elected to do and what they are already…
The time for worrying about what liberals and CINO's (Conservative In Name Only) think or want is long gone. For Speaker of the House we need someone with brains and a backbone who will tell the liberals to go pound sand and will fight back when the liberals start crying boo hoo hoo. I don't have any fixed opinion on who that person should be but find him or her and do it quickly. This country is literally going to Hell in a handbasket and time is too short to waste.