House Republican complains Jim Jordan and his allies want 'to beat folks into submission' as he struggles to collect the necessary votes
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- Rep. Jim Jordan is reportedly rubbing his colleagues the wrong way in an effort to become speaker.
- An unnamed lawmaker lamented to The Post that Jordan and his allies are "wan[t] to beat folks into submission."
- Jordan is reportedly hoping to hold a House floor vote on his nomination on Tuesday.
Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan's efforts to become the next House Speaker have begun to grate on his fellow Republicans.
An unnamed House Republican told The Washington Post that Jordan "and his team wants to beat folks into submission." The same lawmaker said "Jordan's team has the knives out."
"I'll vote my conscience, which is a 'no,' but I don't want to be a punching bag for the next three days," the lawmaker told The Post's Early 202 newsletter. "Right now, Jordan is woefully short on votes, and his team wants to beat folks into submission."
The unnamed lawmaker, who represents a swing district, is likely just one of the many votes Jordan needs to flip if he wishes to become the next House speaker. Jordan won House Republicans' nomination on Friday, but the secret, closed-door vote is far from the final step. A subsequent vote taken after Jordan's victory reportedly showed there were 55 Republicans who would oppose him on the House floor during a public vote, potentially foreshadowing a reprise of the January speakership drama. Jordan can likely only afford to lose four votes if House Democrats unite in opposition against him.
Traditionally, Republicans support their party's nominee on the House floor, but that deference has shattered in the wake of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's January struggles and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise bowing out of the current race after he won the nomination before Jordan.
Jordan reportedly wants to hold a floor vote on Tuesday, potentially forcing Republicans opposed to him to take a public stance. Former President Donald Trump previously endorsed Jordan, backing that hasn't made a difference thus far.
"Chairman Jordan is looking forward to uniting the entire conference on Tuesday in order to get back to work and pass the bills that the American people expect by giving Israel the resources they need to destroy Hamas and securing the southern border," Jordan spokesperson Russell Dye said in statement to Insider.