Trump endorses Jim Jordan for speaker in Truth Social post after Kevin McCarthy's ouster: Highlights

Jordan said today that he has spoken about his bid to be the next speaker with Donald Trump and that he would not support ousting Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida from the Republican caucus even amid anger by some lawmakers after he led McCarthy’s removal from the top post.

“I talked to the president about this and all kinds of issues,” Jordan, a staunch ally of the former president, said in an interview. Asked whether Trump supports his bid, Jordan said: “I don’t want to say anything, but I had a great conversation with the president.”

Jordan also said he would not support efforts to oust Gaetz from the Republican Conference, a possibility that has been floated by House members who are angry that he worked to remove McCarthy from the speaker post.

“I don’t think that’s warranted,” Jordan said. “We’ve got a four-seat majority; Matt’s a talented member of Congress. I disagree with what he did … but he’s a great member of our committee … I think we've got to come together.”

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Former Vice President Mike Pence today rejected the idea of Trump's serving as speaker, saying there are better candidates in the House.

"I think there’s enough talent in the Congress of the United States to find a principled conservative who can lead this conference," Pence said on SiriusXM’s "The Megyn Kelly Show."

"But I can’t say I’m terribly surprised to see my former running mate injecting himself into this conversation," he added.

Pence also criticized Trump for not having defended McCarthy from a small group of House Republicans he dubbed "the Chaos Caucus," who moved to strip McCarthy of the speaker's gavel this week.

"After all of it came apart, he actually was critical of Kevin," Pence said, adding that he believed McCarthy "has been exceptionally generous toward the former president."

Trump said today he'd be open to serving as speaker in the short term following McCarthy's ouster this week.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Trump said lawmakers on Capitol Hill had asked him to take up the post.

“I have been asked to speak as a unifier, because I have so many friends in Congress," Trump told the news outlet. “If they don’t get the vote, they have asked me if I would consider taking the speakership until they get somebody longer-term, because I am running for president.

“They have asked me if I would take it for a short period of time for the party, until they come to a conclusion — I’m not doing it because I want to — I will do it if necessary should they not be able to make their decision.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a staunch Trump ally, has repeatedly pushed the idea of Trump's serving as speaker. Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, has said he plans to nominate Trump for speaker.

NBC News reported today that Trump is considering a visit to the U.S. Capitol early next week as a handful of House Republicans vie to fill the role.

Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., praised House Democrats for voting to oust McCarthy, saying they did "exactly the right thing."

"Kevin McCarthy, at every moment over the course of the last two years, has done more to enable and collaborate with and apologize for Donald Trump," Cheney said during remarks at the University of Minnesota last night.

"Kevin McCarthy stood on the House floor an hour after the Capitol had been cleared [on Jan. 6], and said that the objections should continue. He released security tapes to Tucker Carlson. He refused to abide by a subpoena that had been issued by the select committee and on, and on, and on," said Cheney, who was one of two Republican members of the Jan. 6 committee opposed by McCarthy and Trump.

"So the Democrats made what is a principled and honorable and in my view, the right decision to say we cannot abide by that," she added. "I think they did exactly the right thing. And it was a courageous show of leadership."

Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., who defeated Liz Cheney in the GOP primary for Wyoming's congressional seat last year, said she supports Jordan for speaker.

"Jim Jordan is the definition of a solid conservative and a truly effective leader, and I am proud to publicly express my strong support for him to become the next Speaker of the House," Hageman wrote on the social platform X.

Democrats, who voted to impeach Donald Trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in the deadly Jan. 6 attack, had strong reactions to news of the former president's possible visit to the Capitol next week.

“Criminals tend to return to the scene of the crime,” Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., wrote on X.

“We will need extra security — not for him, but for members and staff and the personnel at the Capitol,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, who was among those trapped in the House chamber during the Capitol attack.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., said in an interview on MSNBC that China sees two victories coming out of the current chaos consuming House Republicans.

“The first is the refusal to send aid to Ukraine,” Moulton, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, said on "Andrea Mitchell Reports."

"They’re watching carefully every step of the way, whether we stand with our democratic allies or we let Ukraine fend for itself," he said.

"They’re just capitalizing off the propaganda victory right now, both Russian and Chinese news outlets, saying that America is in crisis, our politics is dysfunctional, and the sad reality is that that’s what you see right now in the Republican side of the House."