Trump-backed Jim Jordan chosen as Speaker nominee

Jim Jordan, a strong conservative and a favorite of former President Donald Trump, has been selected as the Republican nominee for the position of Speaker of the House.

In a private vote held on Friday, 124 Republican members voted for Jordan, while 81 were against him. However, Jordan is facing opposition even within his own party.

This situation has left the Republicans without a Speaker for ten days, and without one, they can't pass bills, approve emergency aid requests from the White House, or pass short-term spending measures.

While Jordan won the private vote against Georgia's Austin Scott, he hasn't been able to secure widespread support within his party. After the vote, Republicans held another vote to see if members would support him in a floor vote, but the results were not in his favor.

Now, there's no clear path for Jordan to become the Speaker, and this has left House Republicans without a leader and in a state of uncertainty.

Many supporters of Steve Scalise, who was initially nominated as the party's candidate for Speaker but later withdrew, have vowed to oppose Jordan at any cost. Jordan only slightly expanded the slim margin that Scalise had secured.

Some members, like Florida's Mario Díaz-Balart, believe that Jordan faces significant obstacles in his bid for Speaker and may not be the right choice to unify the party.

Jordan expressed confidence before the private vote, stating that he could unite the party and communicate their goals to the country effectively. However, his path to Speaker faces substantial challenges.

Given the slim majority of Republicans in the House, Jordan needs 217 out of 221 Republican members to vote for him and can only afford to lose five votes. Some of his supporters are hopeful that he can convince those who voted against him to change their minds in the coming days.

The exact timing of the Speaker vote on the House floor is uncertain, but some lawmakers have suggested it could take place on Monday, October 16.

Jim Jordan is known for his close ties to Donald Trump and his role in contesting the 2020 election results. The Democrats will nominate Hakeem Jeffries, but as the minority party, he doesn't have a chance of being elected.

In response to Jordan's nomination, Jeffries criticized the Republicans for choosing the leader of what he called the "Chaos Caucus," referring to Jordan's role in the Freedom Caucus.

The previous Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, was removed from his position on October 4 after making a deal with Senate Democrats to fund the government. This marked the first time in U.S. history that a Speaker was voted out of the chamber.