Washington DC | AP NEWS | Republicans have chosen Rep. Jim Jordan as their nominee for House speaker, moving the gavel closer to a staunch ally of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump. Jordan, a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, is now poised to become the second most powerful person in the House, a shift that would bring the far-right into a central position of power.
The choice of Jordan is not without controversy, as he is closely aligned with Trump, particularly during Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, which led to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
If Jordan becomes the speaker, it could complete the party’s rightward shift and intensify its defense of Trump in various legal cases, including those related to the 2020 election. The work of Congress, including funding the government and providing aid to Ukraine, would likely face challenges and increased scrutiny.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has urged Republicans not to elect Jordan as speaker, calling him an “extremist extraordinaire.” Many Republican lawmakers are frustrated with the ongoing infighting within their party and are concerned about the potential consequences of giving the speaker’s gavel to Jordan’s faction.
The situation has thrown the House into chaos, with lawmakers unable to agree on a new speaker to replace Kevin McCarthy. The ongoing divisions within the party have disrupted congressional business.
The pressure is mounting on Republicans to resolve the impasse, regain control, and govern effectively in Congress, given the House’s narrow split and the need to secure a majority of 217 votes.
Despite the challenges, some Republicans believe that as emotions settle, it may become easier for members to unite and select a speaker. Jordan, as a well-known Trump ally, is expected to have strong support among more conservative GOP voters during a public vote on the House floor.
The situation is reminiscent of earlier in the year when McCarthy faced a similar backlash from a different group of far-right holdouts, ultimately securing their votes to become speaker before his eventual ousting.
While Jordan is a nominee for the position, the final decision is yet to be made in a public vote on the House floor, and the outcome remains uncertain due to the divided Republican majority.
