Staff Reports
In the race for the next Speaker of the House, former President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Rep. Jim Jordan. This announcement comes as a surprise to some, as Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas had previously promised to nominate Trump for the position. However, Nehls has now stated that he fully backs Jordan, citing his conversation with the ex-president as the reason for his change of heart.
Jordan, who currently serves as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and is the founder of the House Freedom Caucus, has already received numerous endorsements from lawmakers since officially announcing his bid to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker. Trump’s endorsement adds even more weight to Jordan’s campaign.
Interestingly, earlier in the day, Trump had floated the idea of serving as speaker himself for a short period of time. However, this seems to have been met with mixed reactions, with some lawmakers hoping for a more established and long-term replacement for McCarthy.
JUST IN: GOP lawmaker says Trump endorsing Jim Jordan for House speaker https://t.co/BstSIqDWxo
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) October 6, 2023
One such lawmaker is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who has remained firm in her stance that she wants to see Trump as the speaker. Greene intends to nominate the former president for the race during the upcoming GOP conference meeting next week.
It remains to be seen how this endorsement will impact the speaker’s race, particularly for other candidates like House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Rep. Kevin Hern, who have also expressed interest in the position. However, it is clear that any candidate hoping to secure the gavel will need Trump’s support, as he has demonstrated significant influence over the House Republican Conference. The 2024 GOP presidential front-runner has a knack for rallying lawmakers behind his causes, whether it be advocating for a government shutdown or pushing for an impeachment investigation of President Biden.
