'Insurrection caucus': Ex-GOP rep suggests Jordan support proves Trump’s hold on the House

16 October 2023

During Monday's episode of MSNBC's The ReidOut, former United States Representative David Jolly (R-FL) compared ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) leadership to the potential House leadership of Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), explaining why the two are not much "different" from each other.

Jolly said, "I think we have to put into context this moment, because it's not as though McCarthy really was any better. McCarthy was the one who covered for [ex-President] Donald Trump after January 6th, who stood up the impeachment of [President] Joe Biden, who refused to cooperate with the J6 committee, who gave Jordan the speaker's gavel, and who would only -deal in bad faith with Joe Biden. So this is not too far of a move from McCarthy to Jordan. What is different is some of the specific activities of Jordan, and the tactics of Jordan. But what we know today is that the Republican caucus remains an insurrection caucus, regardless of who the speaker is. Certainly, you could say Jordan's tactics feel and look more dangerous. Will he be more successful? I don't know, because the numbers are still the numbers going up against House Democrats under [House Minority Leader Hakeem] Jeffries, the [Majority Senate] leader [Chuck] Schumer, and Joe Biden in the White House. But certainly a dark day should we see Jim Jordan elevated to the speakership."

Host Joy Reid replied, "You know, in a sense, it almost feels karmic that Republicans would be drawn to someone who asked Donald Trump for a pardon, because he must've believed that his role in the insurrection was potentially criminal. And somebody who defied subpoenas — the fact that that is the quality and character of person that Republicans think, 'Yeah, this should be our leader' — to me, it says something so devastating about one of our two great political parties, that you almost can't come back from that, right? Where did they go from here?"

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Jolly said, "Joy, I think the feeling with a speaker Jordan is we now really feel the fact now that Donald Trump has taken over the House of Representatives. He really had with McCarthy, but McCarthy did it with a smile. Jim Jordan does it with a scowl. You know who else a huge winner is tonight, should [Jordan] be elevated to speaker — is [U.S. Rep.] Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — Matt Gaetz has delivered to the base a Jim Jordan — however reviled he is. And so look, there has been some hope, and maybe House moderates or traditional Republicans, or whatever you want to call them, will stand up against Jordan. But right now, to have 55 'no's' 48 hours ago — it now looks like all those 'no's' are nothing but a bunch of [U.S. Senator] Susan Collins (R-ME) — about ready to hand the speakership to Jordan."

Watch the video below or at this link.

'The Republican caucus remains an insurrection caucus': ex-GOP repwww.youtube.com

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