‘We Only Lost a Couple’: Jim Jordan Vows to Fight On For House Speaker Despite Losing More GOP Votes

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) displayed incredible optimism when interviewed by CNN Friday after losing even more Republican votes in his third shot at House speaker.

CNN producer Morgan Rimmer caught up with the hard-line Republican as he made his way through the halls of Congress after his defeat.

“Mr. Jordan, you lost more votes on this round. How much longer do you think you can keep this up?” Rimmer asked.

“You guys said we were going to lose 15 to 30,” Jordan countered.

“Still, 25 is not a low number,” Rimmer said. “Do you think you can keep this up?”

“We only lost a couple. We had a couple absent who would have been for us,” Jordan said, prompting Rimmer to ask, “Do you think you will make up for this in Conference?”

“We’re going to try. I think so. You know, we have Conference here in like an hour,” Jordan answered.

CNN’s Manu Raju broke down the votes that Jordan has lost over the course of three House votes.

“Remember, he has gone in the wrong direction: 20 Republicans on the first ballot, he lost 22 on the second ballot, 25 on this ballot,” Raju said. “When all Republicans are here and voting he can only afford to lose four, but downplaying the fact that he lost 25, suggesting that perhaps that people thought there could be even more here. We will see what happens behind closed doors. This will be a huge test about whether he decides to go ahead or whether Republicans find any way out of this crisis that has left this House paralyzed and unable to figure out a way forward here.”

CNN reported that House Republicans were casting secret ballots to determine whether Jordan should drop out of the speaker race.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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