The race to replace McCarthy is heating up. But this came directly out of left field.
And Kevin McCarthy stunned Jim Jordan with an unexpected House Speaker announcement.
House Speaker Emeritus Kevin McCarthy has promised to do everything in his power to help Rep. Jim Jordan become the next speaker.
Jordan (R-Ohio) appears to be short on votes as he prepares to take the gavel on Tuesday. McCarthy (R-Calif.) remained bullish about Jordan’s prospects.
“I think Jim Jordan can get there,” McCarthy (R-CA) said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
“I’m one who understands how difficult it is. I did walk in with more support during this time, but I believe at the end of the day, Jim can get there.
“I’m doing everything I can to help him be able to become speaker.”
“It’s possible but it’s a big hill. He [Scalise] told a lot of people he was going to be at 150 and he wasn’t there so,” McCarthy told reporters at the time.
McCarthy casting some real doubt about Scalise’s ability to get to 216.. and raises questions about his whip operation.
“It’s possible but it’s a big hill. He (Scalise) told a lot of people he was going to be at 150 and he wasn’t there so..” pic.twitter.com/MwTiLWUjmV
— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) October 12, 2023
Scalise initially defeated Jordan in a narrow vote of House Republicans behind closed doors, 113 to 99. Scalise pulled out of consideration last Thursday evening after failing to secure enough support.
Jordan won the party’s nomination for speaker the next day with a 124-81 vote.
Surprisingly, his main opponent, Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), only launched his campaign four hours earlier and has already attracted hundreds of defections.
During Jordan’s duel versus Scalise, former President Donald Trump encouraged him.
McCarthy was deposed on Oct. 3 in a coup orchestrated by eight Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who joined a strong Democratic bloc.
The former speaker still has some supporters who want him to re-enter the race. Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-FL), for example, has previously stated his support for McCarthy.
Jordan openly argued earlier this month that Republicans should not go to the floor for a vote until it was confident that the speaker nominee had enough support.
“We shouldn’t go to the House floor until we have 218 votes for the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives,” Jordan told Fox News.
“We shouldn’t have to go through what we did back in January.”
Jordan looks to be altering his tune now that he is the speaker nominee. Whip notices from both House Republicans and Democrats indicated that a vote on the speakership would be held on Tuesday.
Jordan’s move appears to be a pressure tactic to put holdouts on the spot and peel off doubtful moderates.
Many of Jordan’s supporters, including Gaetz, have publicly urged the GOP to name a speaker as quickly as possible.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
