House Republican Says the Quiet Part Out Loud On Why He’s Backing Jordan for Speaker: He’ll ‘Keep Conservative Media Off Our Backs’
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images
Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) said the quiet part out loud while explaining why he’s backing House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) bid for House Speaker.
It’s been two weeks since Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted as speaker when Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and several fellow Republicans triggered an uprising that toppled him. Between this infighting, the war in Israel, and the possibility of another government shutdown, House Republicans have been in pandemonium as they try to figure out who should be the next speaker.
Jordan currently holds the House GOP nomination for the job, though the congressman is typically not seen as a unifying figure, and it isn’t clear if he can secure enough votes to clench the speakership. The Washington Post noted that Armstrong nominated Jordan for speaker, and they got a quote from the North Dakota representative with an unusual appeal to Jordan’s GOP holdouts.
He’s the best person to keep us out of a government shutdown and the best person to keep conservative media off our backs as we face a shutdown.
The speakership turmoil has been an obvious draw for major media criticism. Fox News’ Sean Hannity launched an initiative to pressure Republicans into falling in line behind Jordan. (Last night on his show, Hannity responded passionately to the idea he was putting his thumb on the scale.) Meanwhile, Armstrong promoted the letter on Monday wherein Jordan called for Republicans to unity with him.
