Republican members of Congress who oppose Representative Jim Jordan’s bid for House Speaker claim that the MAGA lawmaker has been employing strong-arm tactics in an attempt to secure the Speakership, despite lacking over 50 votes within the House Republican conference.
Sources reveal that these tactics involve influential figures from Fox News, who have been sending mass emails to sway undecided Republicans. A leaked email from Sean Hannity’s staff, surfaced on X (formerly Twitter), exposes political pressure from Hannity urging members to throw their support behind Jordan or face the consequences.
However, moderate members within the conference are claiming that these heavy-handed maneuvers are backfiring, driving more members away from supporting Jordan. This rift comes at a critical time when tensions between moderates and MAGA supporters are pushing the party towards a potential internal clash.
Moderates are growing increasingly irritated with the tactics Jordan allies are using to pressure them into voting for him, with one member noting the Hannity show has gotten involved in the efforts sending potential defectors the email below. One lawmaker said the push is… pic.twitter.com/ulOn0ZEbts
— Juliegrace Brufke (@juliegraceb) October 15, 2023
MAGA Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), a vocal supporter of Jordan for Speaker, emphasized in a recent CNN interview, “I’m supporting Jordan. I’m going to vote for Jordan. As someone who wants Jim Jordan, the dumbest thing you can do is to continue pissing off those people.”
The leaked Hannity letter is raising concerns, given his history as a media advocate for the Trump movement. Hannity’s open endorsement of Trump in 2016, campaigning with him, and his promotion of 2020 election denialism conspiracy theories, despite privately acknowledging their falsehood, adds a layer of complexity to the unfolding drama.
Revelations from the lawsuit against Fox News by Dominion voting systems indicate that Hannity was “privately disgusted” with Trump, shedding light on the internal dynamics of Trump-aligned media figures.
The alliance between Jordan, endorsed by Trump for Speaker, and Hannity might mark a new chapter in the MAGA media machine, potentially positioning Jordan as a Congressional Trump loyalist with Fox as a media ally reminiscent of Soviet state media.
Jordan secured an internal Republican majority vote for Speaker of the House nominee after Steve Scalise withdrew from the race last Thursday. However, a subsequent vote revealed that 55 Republicans were not planning to vote for Jordan on the floor, presenting a significant challenge given the GOP’s narrow majority.
Jordan’s struggle to gain support within his own conference stems from controversies, including allegations of covering up sexual abuse during his tenure as a wrestling coach at Ohio State University, coupled with a combative nature that has resulted in zero bills passed in his 16 years in Congress. The Republican Party is now at a critical juncture, balancing internal tensions against the backdrop of a closely divided Congress.
