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."

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who was rumored to be a possible candidate for speaker, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he supports Jordan.

Donalds conveyed the endorsement by retweeting a post in which conservative commentator Mark Levin backed Jordan.

"I agree! @Jim_Jordan for Speaker," Donalds tweeted.

Donald Trump is considering a visit to the U.S. Capitol early next week, as House Republicans debate who should be the next speaker, according to two GOP lawmakers and two Trump allies. 

The former president, who has not set foot on Capitol grounds since prior to the Jan. 6 riot, is considering making an appearance here in an effort to “unify the party,” according to one Republican lawmaker who discussed the possibility with a member of Trump’s inner circle this morning. 

While some Trump allies have suggested the former president himself should serve as the next speaker, Trump said publicly yesterday that his focus is on reclaiming the White House, and the two Republican lawmakers said they don’t believe he’s seriously interested in the position. 

White House spokesman Andrew Bates sent a memo to "interested parties" highlighting the split-screen moment in a political jab at a chaotic Republican caucus.

"The American people deserve leadership that puts the issues affecting their lives front and center, like President Biden is doing — not the needless political chaos the House Republicans are miring themselves in as extreme members demand policies that are wildly at odds with the country and as their conference bickers with each other," Bates said in the memo, shared first with NBC News.

Bates emphasized Biden's willingness to work across the aisle, adding that after the GOP had risked "singlehandedly causing a near-default crisis, a near shutdown, and the current state of instability, we hope they come around to the same posture."

He ended the memo by calling on the House Republicans to "resolve their infighting as quickly as possible, and join President Biden in making more progress on the issues that affect millions of Americans every day."

House Democrats are planning to huddle behind closed doors Tuesday evening at the Capitol.

The topic for the meeting, according to a notice disseminated to members, is "nominating a candidate for Speaker in the upcoming House election."

Two days after he was ousted, the McCarthy nameplate outside his old office still has not come down. But it’s just a matter of time.

A steady stream of tourists in the Capitol have been taking photos of the nameplate. Some even have stopped to take selfies.

Jordan is clearly picking up more public endorsements than Scalise for speaker so far. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., said in a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, that he supports Jordan.

"I am proud to support my good friend Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House. Jim is a proven conservative fighter who has led the battle against out-of-control government spending since he was first elected," said Mooney, who argued that Jordan would "stand strong" against President Joe Biden.

Mooney said Jordan has been on the front lines "fighting back against the weaponized Department of Justice that is witch-hunting President Trump and conservatives."

As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to push for Trump as the next speaker, he's not closing the door on the possibility.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said that he "will do whatever is necessary to help with the Speaker of the House selection process, short term, until the final selection of a GREAT REPUBLICAN SPEAKER is made — A Speaker who will help a new, but highly experienced President, ME, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Yesterday, when asked if he would accept the position if elected, he did not rule it out, but reiterated that he is focused on running for president. 

In the wake of the historic ouster of McCarthy as speaker, there is growing intrigue around whether former President Donald Trump supported the move.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., led the push, which succeeded when eight Republicans joined with all 208 Democrats to boot McCarthy.

After the vote, Gaetz spoke with reporters and suggested that he had Trump’s backing.

“My conversations with the former president leave me with great confidence that I did the right thing,” he said.

Gaetz’s comments leave some wiggle room. He didn’t specify which “conversations” he had with Trump or exactly what was said.

But yesterday, Trump shot down Gaetz’s comment.

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., continues to push the idea of former President Donald Trump becoming speaker of the House.

The close Trump ally shared a clip on X, formerly Twitter, of herself appearing on Infowars explaining how a speaker is elected in the House.

"This is how President Trump can become the next Speaker of the House," she tweeted.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, has endorsed Jordan for speaker, saying in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that his colleague from Ohio "unites our conference."

"His leadership, influence, and tireless effort have helped build our majority. "Do what you said you would do" isn't just a great book title, it's the path forward. I unequivocally support my friend, America's champion for freedom, Jim Jordan as the next Speaker of the House and ask my colleagues to do the same," Davidson wrote today.

Davidson has served in the House since June 2016, taking over the seat left vacant by former Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Hern, R-Okla., has been making calls to House Republicans to gauge their interest in having him run for speaker, two GOP lawmakers who received his outreach told NBC News.

It's been known that Hern has been considering a speakership bid, but has yet to make it official.

"We’ll continue to talk to people, so you guys will be the first to know," Hern said yesterday.

At the moment, Jordan and Scalise are the only two official candidates.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in an interview yesterday that Republicans should impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland.

"I think that would unify Republicans in the House, to impeach Mayorkas, but I think it would also highlight the incredible human suffering that the Biden administration’s open borders are causing," Cruz said on "The Julie Mason Show" on SiriusXM. "They should have done that already. I think the House should move forward with impeachment proceedings for Merrick Garland. Merrick Garland. The attorney general, I believe, has been the most partisan and political attorney general we’ve ever had."

Scalise, who became a national figure after he survived a brutal assassination attempt during a congressional baseball practice, announced yesterday that he will seek to be the next House speaker.

“When I was in the hospital for nearly 15 weeks, it was the possibility of getting back to work with all of you that kept me motivated to get better,” Scalise, R-La., wrote in a letter to Republicans. “During that time, I was often asked why after nearly losing my life because of this job I would want to go back. But it was never a question for me: I love this country, and I believe we were sent here to come together and solve the immense challenges we face.”

Yesterday, he was making calls seeking to shore up support for a bid to succeed McCarthy, two lawmakers who have spoken with him said. He also huddled privately with members of the 25-person Texas GOP delegation — the largest in the Republican Conference.

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Jordan became the first lawmaker to announce a bid for speaker yesterday, one day after McCarthy was ousted from the top job in a historic vote.

Asked by reporters in the Capitol whether he was running, the Ohio Republican replied unequivocally: “Yes.”

“We need to unite the conference,” said Jordan, who had just met with Scalise, R-La., a likely rival for speaker, to inform him of his decision.

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It was inevitable that giving Rep. Matt Gaetz the procedural bazooka he demanded would end in the political annihilation of McCarthy.

For Gaetz — a 2020 election denier, a defender of the Jan. 6 insurrection and the subject of an ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and more — rules seem to matter most when they benefit him. The animating tenet of his political ideology — a strain of the broader conservative bent against taxation and spending — is that the federal government works against the public interest because it is corrupt. Chaos feeds his narrative.

McCarthy’s substantive sins were avoiding a national default and a federal shutdown, which interfered with Gaetz’s ability to demonstrate that the government is broken. So Gaetz, R-Fla., used his procedural weapon — the “motion to vacate” — to do the next best thing: He aligned with Democrats to throw the House into a state of anarchy. For one day, at least, Gaetz and his seven followers ruled the 433-member House.

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