Kaitlan Collins Grills Pence Over Support For Jim Jordan’s Speaker Bid After He Said Ex-VP Could Overturn Election: ‘That Doesn’t Bother You?’

CNN host Kaitlan Collins grilled former Vice President Mike Pence over his support for Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) House speakership bid on Friday and pointed out that Jordan had supported the idea that Pence could block the results of the 2020 election.

During an appearance on CNN’s The Source, Pence told Collins:

Jim Jordan would be an outstanding speaker of the House. He is a principled conservative, just as Steve Scalise is, and at a time when we see war raging in Eastern Europe, the worst attack on the Jewish state of Israel since its re-founding in 1948, challenges here at home in our economy, a crisis at our border, the American people want to see the Republican conference come together, elect a speaker, and get back to work.

Collins replied, “It’s interesting to me to hear you say that, that Jim Jordan would be a great speaker, given he was someone who sent a text to the chief of staff on January 5th that outlined for you to violate the Constitution and block the certification of the election. I mean, do you really believe that’s someone who should be third in line for the presidency?”

Pence responded, “I have immense respect for Jim Jordan. He’s a man of integrity and I’ve known him for many years. I was not aware of his opinion going into January 6th,” prompting Collins to push, “So that doesn’t bother you?”

“My interaction with Congressman Jordan in December was simply over the legitimate objections that members of Congress were permitted to file under the law. But look, we may have a difference of opinion about my duties under the Constitution that day, but I’m very confident that if Jim Jordan becomes speaker of the House, that he’ll lead with integrity,” declared Pence.

He added:

And the most important thing is that the Congress come together, that Republicans come together, and elect a speaker because, as you’ve reported on your airwaves, we may well, as we sit here, be just a few hours away from when this war initiated by Hamas with brutal assaults on men, women, and infant children will enter a whole new phase, and it’ll be important throughout that time that America speaks with one voice, that our nation stands with Israel, that we will stand with Israel today, tomorrow, and through all the difficult days ahead.

Collins concluded, “Yeah, well it’s remarkable to hear you say that about Jim Jordan.”

House Republicans nominated Jordan for the speakership on Friday after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) dropped out as nominee. As was the case with Scalise’s brief nomination, however, Jordan is reportedly short of the votes necessary to officially succeed Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker.

Watch above via CNN.