Mary Trump, the niece of former President Donald Trump, taunted Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan following his unsuccessful attempt to secure the position of House speaker.
The author, podcast host, and persistent critic of her uncle, was reacting to the Republican representative losing the second ballot on Wednesday to replace Kevin McCarthy as House speaker, which saw a wider margin than Tuesday’s vote.
Despite Donald Trump’s endorsement, Jordan secured 199 votes on Wednesday, with 22 House Republicans defecting to support other candidates. Jordan fell short by one vote from his own party compared to Tuesday’s ballot and is still significantly below the 217 full House votes needed to secure the speaker position.
On X, previously Twitter, NBC News highlighted that Jordan’s 199 votes on Wednesday marked the first instance in a century where the majority nominee received less than 200 votes. In 1923, Frederick H. Gillet received 197 votes on the first ballot, requiring eight more rounds of voting to eventually secure a win.
In response to the post, Mary Trump mocked Jordan and took a jab at the former president, writing, “Loser. (Donald should trademark this word.)”
Loser.
(Donald should get this word trademarked.) https://t.co/WoVS4nfHkX
— Mary L Trump (@MaryLTrump) October 18, 2023
A third vote is expected on Thursday, but it remains unclear whether Jordan will receive the almost unanimous support needed from his party to break the current deadlock and secure the 217 votes. Meanwhile, Democrats are anticipated to continue backing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who once again outpaced Jordan in Wednesday’s ballot with a vote count of 212-199.
Before Wednesday’s vote, Jordan urged the GOP to “stop attacking each other and come together” to support his bid, emphasizing the need for the lower chamber to address vital foreign and domestic issues.
“There’s too much at stake,” Jordan posted on X. “Let’s get back to working on the crisis at the southern border, inflation, and helping Israel.”
Without a speaker in place, the House is unable to pass or authorize legislation, leaving the lower chamber in a state of uncertainty.
One potential solution is to grant Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry more powers, a proposal that has received bipartisan support. The current role that McHenry filled at McCarthy’s behest is primarily ceremonial. The North Carolina congressman oversees the vote count for the permanent House Speaker position but lacks the authority to pass legislation in the current arrangement.
