Former President Donald Trump endorses Jim Jordan for House Speaker
Former President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio for the newly-vacated House speaker role. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, expressed his “complete & total endorsement” for Jordan, who has been one of his staunchest allies in Congress.
The endorsement comes as both Jordan and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana announced their bids for House speaker. Jordan, who currently chairs the powerful House Judiciary Committee, has been gaining momentum and garnering support for his bid. In an interview with CBS News, Jordan expressed optimism and said that several committee chairs and members had pledged to back him.
A vote for the new House speaker is expected next week, as the House has been in recess since the removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina is currently serving as speaker pro tempore. This comes after Tuesday’s historic vote in which 216 members of the House voted to oust McCarthy in a no-confidence vote. In an unprecedented move, eight far-right Republicans joined Democrats to remove him.
The push to remove McCarthy was led by Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who accused the former speaker of betraying conservatives by supporting a bipartisan stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown. Some far-right Republicans have called for Trump himself to be nominated as House speaker, although this would break with tradition as the speaker has always been a member of Congress.
It remains to be seen how Jordan’s endorsement by Trump will impact the race for House speaker. Trump’s backing carries significant weight among Republicans, and his support could give Jordan an edge over his competitors. With tensions running high within the party, the upcoming vote for House speaker will undoubtedly shape the direction of the Republican Party moving forward.
— Melissa Quinn and Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.