Republicans pick Jim Jordan as nominee for House speaker, putting job within the Trump ally’s reach

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The Republicans have chosen Representative Jim Jordan as their nominee for House speaker in an internal vote held on Friday. This decision places Jordan, a staunch ally of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump, in contention for one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government, second only to the presidency itself. Jordan is a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, a far-right group within the Republican Party.

The move to elect Jordan gained momentum with support from high-profile figures like Fox News’ Sean Hannity, who publicly pressured lawmakers to back Jordan after the unexpected removal of Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s office. Jordan, hailing from Ohio, will now seek to unite his colleagues within the deeply divided House GOP majority as they prepare for a public vote on the floor, which may take place next week. The private vote among Republicans resulted in a split of 124-81 in favor of Jordan.

Kevin McCarthy, the former House speaker, expressed his confidence in Jordan’s abilities, stating, “I think Jordan would do a great job. We got to get this back on track.”

However, the process of selecting a new speaker has been marred by bitter infighting among House Republicans, leading to a two-week-long stalemate and a halt in legislative progress. Jordan emerged as a potential candidate after Majority Leader Steve Scalise withdrew from the race when it became evident that some members of his party would not support his nomination.

It’s worth noting that not all Republicans are in favor of Jordan as the next speaker. Jordan’s close association with former President Trump, especially during Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election and the subsequent attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, has raised concerns. Jordan was a prominent defender of Trump during his impeachment proceedings and was awarded the Medal of Freedom by Trump shortly thereafter.

If Jordan assumes the role of House speaker, it could signal a further shift to the far-right within the Republican Party and strengthen their defense of Trump in various legal cases, including those related to election fraud in 2020. This change in leadership could also impact legislative matters, including budget cuts and aid to Ukraine, as well as investigations into President Biden and his family.

In addition to political considerations, Jordan faces questions regarding his past involvement as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University, where former wrestlers accused him of knowing about inappropriate conduct by an Ohio doctor. Jordan and his office have denied any knowledge of such abuse.

The ongoing division within the Republican Party has raised concerns among GOP lawmakers about the party’s ability to maintain its majority and effectively govern. The House, without a speaker, faces challenges in addressing pressing issues, both domestically and internationally.

As the political pressure mounts on Republicans to resolve their leadership crisis, the path forward remains uncertain, with potential speaker choices still being considered. The ultimate decision will have significant implications for the direction of the party and the functioning of the House of Representatives.

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More about House Speaker Nomination

• Jim Jordan
• Freedom Caucus
• Kevin McCarthy
• Donald Trump
• 2020 United States presidential election
• January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol
• Medal of Freedom
• Republican Party
• United States House of Representatives