Trump Endorses Jim Jordan for House Speaker After McCarthy's Ouster

Shortly after midnight on Friday, Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social site that Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio had his "Complete & Total Endorsement" to become the next speaker of the House. Trump called Jordan a "STAR" who had made a very successful journey to Washington from Ohio's 4th Congressional District, and said he would be a "GREAT Speaker."

The post came hours after Texas Rep. Troy Nehls announced on X, formerly Twitter, late Thursday that he had just had a great conversation with Trump, who was endorsing Jordan. Nehls added that he believed Congress should listen to the leader of the party. In an interview with The Associated Press, Nehls said Trump had thought it over and decided he favored getting behind Jordan, whom he believes is right for the job. It was unclear whether Trump had intended to announce his choice before Nehls' post. Two Republicans familiar with his thinking, speaking anonymously, said Trump had been telling people in recent days that he preferred Jordan.

The endorsement follows the stunning ouster of Kevin McCarthy as speaker. Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, is one of two leading candidates, along with Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the current majority leader. Both are trying to lock in the 218 votes needed to win and must draw support from both the far-right and moderate wings of the party. It is unclear whether Trump's backing will push Scalise out of the race. Scalise has also worked closely with Trump over the years. Jordan, though, is among Trump's biggest champions on the Hill, has led investigations into the prosecutors who have charged the former president, and was part of a group of Republicans who worked with Trump to overturn his defeat ahead of Jan. 6.

Before settling on Jordan, Trump had stoked speculation about taking the job himself. He told Fox News Digital on Thursday that he would accept a short-term speakership, anywhere from 30 to 90 days, if another candidate lacked the votes, saying he had been asked to serve as a unifier because of his many friends in Congress. In a social media post that day, he said he would do whatever was necessary to help with the selection process in the short term. Nehls, who had been encouraging Trump to run, said he had been contacted by multiple members willing to offer nomination speeches for him, and said that if no candidate reached the needed support, he would turn to Trump again. "Our conference is divided. Our country is broken. I don't know who can get to 218," he said. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who did not vote to remove McCarthy, posted that she believed Trump "would take the job."

Trump had also been in talks to visit the Capitol next week, which would have been his first trip there since leaving office and since his supporters attacked the building on Jan. 6, 2021. He told Fox News Digital he was heading to Washington on Tuesday, and three people familiar with the discussions confirmed them to the AP. One of them said he likely would have attended a closed-door candidate forum Tuesday evening, ahead of a vote that could come as soon as Wednesday, and would have come to talk with lawmakers rather than pitch himself. Nehls said the trip was unlikely. Trump has been indicted in Washington and Georgia over his efforts to overturn the election he lost to Joe Biden.

The role is not one that obviously suits him. The speaker effectively runs the Capitol and deals with hundreds of lawmakers, and requires attention to arcane legislative detail that Trump showed little interest in even as president. He is also still campaigning in early primary states while dealing with four criminal indictments and several civil cases. No rule requires a speaker to be a House member, but all 55 speakers elected so far have been, though lawmakers have sometimes cast protest votes for outsiders.

Trump's role in McCarthy's fall is part of the backdrop. He helped McCarthy win the speakership in January after 15 rounds of voting, but later urged Republicans to impeach Biden and reject McCarthy's deals. Last month he urged the right flank to back a shutdown absent deep spending cuts. McCarthy instead moved to keep the government open for 45 days without those cuts, the decision Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz cited in moving to depose him. The day after the vote, Biden urged the House to work together, saying the American people expect Congress to get its work done.

What to watch now is whether Scalise stays in the race, whether Jordan can reach 218 in a divided conference, and whether Trump's offer to serve short-term gains any traction if neither does.