US House Contender Jordan Claims He Won't Oust Gaetz After Holding Talk With Trump

Former US President Trump's name has been floated as a possible candidate for the House speaker, but there are far more likely candidates currently serving in the lower congressional chamber.

US Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said on Thursday that he spoke with former US President Donald Trump about his bid to replace Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as House speaker.

Jordan did not elaborate on whether Trump said he supported his bid for speaker, only saying it was “a great conversation” and that they also talked about “all kinds of issues.”

During and after the Trump presidency, Jordan proved to be a close ally of the former commander-in-chief. He was one of the Republicans who did not vote to certify the 2020 election results and is one of the leading GOP members of the impeachment inquiry into current US President Joe Biden.

McCarthy was ousted as speaker earlier this week after US Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate the seat. Eight Republicans joined every Democrat in voting to oust McCarthy. The move by Gaetz has angered some party members and a few have floated the idea of kicking him out of the caucus. Jordan said he would not support a move against Gaetz.

“I don’t think that’s warranted,” Jordan told US media. “We’ve got a four-seat majority, Matt’s a talented member of Congress.”

Jordan added, “I disagree with what he did [in removing McCarthy] …but he’s a great member of our committee … I think we gotta come together.”

Gaetz has expressed support for both Jordan and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA). Reps. Kevin Hern (R-OK) and Tom Emmer (R-MN) have also announced bids.

Some Republicans have also been calling for the repeal of the rule that allowed Gaetz to call for McCarthy’s removal. Jordan said if the conference supports that, he would also throw in his backing but added that it would be “fine” with him if they did not.

US Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who received a peak of 20 votes during January’s election for House speaker, said he disagreed with Gaetz’s decision to call for a motion to vacate but added that his actions showed how things have changed in the US House of Representatives.

“If there was any doubt before, it is without doubt now that the era of leadership control over everything in this building is definitely over,” Donalds said.

Despite leading the impeachment inquiry, Jordan said that he would be able to form a working relationship with Biden while acting as speaker.

“If I get the votes and get the privilege of being speaker, that’s how it works in our system,” Jordan said. “We’ll deal with them, they’ll deal with us. That’s how it works.”

He was also asked about his relationship with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), particularly their vast differences on sending more aid to Ukraine. Jordan has vehemently opposed further aid to Ukraine while McConnell, who received $18,500 for his 2020 campaign from weapon manufacturer Raytheon, supports it.

Jordan said his relationship with McConnell is “fine” and argued that his position on Ukraine is “where the American people are.”

A recent poll by Ipsos showed that only 41% of Americans agree that Washington should send more weapons to Ukraine. That poll also showed support for further funding is falling among both major US political parties.

Democrat support has fallen from 61% in May to just 52%. Meanwhile, Republican support has dropped four percentage points over the same period to 35%.