During an August 4 rally in central Ohio to support a beleaguered special election congressional candidate, President Donald Trump took a moment to praise another Ohio Republican.
“What a great defender he’s been, what courage,” Trump said of Rep. Jim Jordan, a man with a penchant for burning bridges who has been particularly vocal in his efforts to protect Trump throughout various investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 election. “He’s a brave, tough cookie,” added Trump.
The crowd started to chant: “Speaker of the House. Speaker of the House. Speaker of the House.”
Jordan announced on July 26 that he would launch an improbable campaign to replace retiring House speaker Paul Ryan when the Wisconsin Republican steps down next year—if, of course, the party is able to maintain control of the chamber in November’s midterm elections. Jordan’s candidacy is the latest wrench to be thrown into the contested speaker’s race, yet it is evident he does not yet enjoy enough goodwill within the GOP conference to become speaker. Rank-and-file Republicans argue that Jordan has tossed too many grenades at the GOP leadership during his decade-plus in Congress to be viewed as a unifying candidate. If anything, his bid for the position may serve as a useful negotiating tool for other conservative members seeking greater influence and more ambitious policies.
The House Freedom Caucus, founded by Jordan and his closest allies in 2015 and made up of about three dozen members, is well-known for its ideological solidarity and guerrilla negotiating tactics. Its members have long desired a greater say in the legislative process, and close leadership races offer a rare opportunity to extract concessions. While the precise list of Freedom Caucus demands is unclear, caucus members would be happy with offers such as committee chairmanships.
And the top contenders to replace Ryan are well aware that they must curry favor with the Freedom Caucus if they want to claim the speakership. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has made clear that he wants the job, and Ryan has personally endorsed him as his successor. But McCarthy does not yet have sufficient support to clinch the vote. His previous attempt to win the post in 2015 fell short for a number of reasons, including his widely criticized remarks suggesting the House GOP’s Benghazi investigation had been politically motivated, as well as unsubstantiated allegations of an extramarital affair, which McCarthy denies. Ryan argues that the California Republican has matured since then and that “Kevin is the right person” to replace him in January.
But that will be more easily said than done. Jordan’s candidacy indicates McCarthy may once again struggle to secure sufficient support from the most hard-line wing of the party. In preparation for that scenario, majority whip Steve Scalise is quietly weighing his prospects as a backup option. Jordan’s candidacy places more pressure on both McCarthy and Scalise to offer appealing promises to conservatives in exchange for their support. Still, House Freedom Caucus spokesman Darin Miller assures TWS, “Congressman Jordan is running to become speaker. He’s not running as a placeholder candidate.”
The 54-year-old has recently been mired in controversy amid accusations that he knew about alleged sexual abuse at Ohio State University and failed to take action to stop it when he was an assistant coach for the wrestling team from 1986 until 1994. Several former wrestlers have claimed that Jordan had to have been aware that the school’s former athletic doctor, Richard Strauss, who died in 2005, preyed on members of the team during medical examinations, because it was an open secret in the locker room. Jordan vehemently denies that he had knowledge of the situation. “I never saw, never heard of, never was told about any type of abuse,” Jordan told Fox News’s Bret Baier on July 6. “If I had been, I would have dealt with it.” Some of Jordan’s colleagues quickly came out with statements of support for him—including Scalise.
Jordan timed his announcement for the speaker’s race for the very beginning of the August recess, when members returned to their districts for five weeks to campaign and meet with constituents. A source close to Jordan tells me that the congressman anticipates conservative grassroots voters will urge Republican members of Congress to support his longshot bid for the speakership during their time at home. In a July 26 letter filled with effusive praise for Trump, Jordan asked his colleagues to back his candidacy, decrying the current state of Congress and pointing specifically to big spending under a two-year bipartisan agreement reached by congressional leaders in February.
Jordan’s letter also contained a laundry list of policy priorities, noting his desire to fully repeal Obamacare, institute work requirements for welfare programs, fund Trump’s wall along the southern border, defund Planned Parenthood, and reduce the federal deficit through substantive spending cuts. He also indicated that he would support a more decentralized legislative process that would place power in the hands of committee chairmen rather than a select few in leadership. “President Trump has taken bold action on behalf of the American people. Congress has not held up its end of the deal, but we can change that,” Jordan wrote. “It’s time to do what we said.”
