RINOs prepare to sabotage Jordan

A small – and anonymous – group of Republicans In Name Only (RINOs) is preparing a challenge to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Jordan is canvassing the House Republican Conference ahead of tomorrow’s (October 17) House floor vote to choose a new Speaker. Rumors are flying as to what kind of challenge Jordan will face, but none of the RINOs will identify himself. While this is happening, House Minority Floor Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) entertains hope that he will become the next Speaker.

RINOs on the stampede – maybe

Politico.com broke the story over the weekend about RINOs naming another challenger during the full House vote. Politico won’t say how many Representatives or involved or whom they plan to put forward. (Estimates vary from 12 to 20 “hard no” votes against Jordan, who won a nomination last week.) They cite two Representatives who won’t give their names, who even admitted they didn’t have a candidate. All they will say is that they’ll have “an alternative for the rational part of the Republican conference.”

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), one of eight Republicans voting “Aye” on a motion to vacate the chair, said on X:

The House has been under an interim Speaker (Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.), who exists only to choose another Speaker.

Gateway Pundit contributor and podcaster Jordan Conradson reported similar pressure from other Representatives to stop delaying and have a floor vote. He also cited a Breitbart article suggesting the number of “holdouts” is not as high as legacy media claim.

But Leader Jeffries threw the fat into the fire yesterday morning, on NBC-TV’s Meet the Press. In an interview with Kristen Welker, he spoke coyly of the formation of a “governing coalition.” (This comes from podcaster Joe Messina. NBC has not, at time of writing, posted yesterday’s MTP episode.)

“Governing coalitions,” a concept from parliamentary systems in Europe and Israel, are utterly unknown to American politics – at least ostensibly. Jeffries’ remarks suggest that this is a secret reality. (Welker, not Jeffries, uttered that phrase.)

Reaction

Jim Hoft, editor-in-chief at The Gateway Pundit, vowed to “keep … tabs on the RINOs who vote against Jim Jordan.” He also shared this video from Trending Politics having the relevant part of the Jeffries-Welker interview.

In the interview, Jeffries confirmed “informal discussions” (he won’t say with whom), then lapsed into typical Democratic Party boilerplate. In fact, Welker appeared to castigate Republicans for not having governing coalition conversations earlier.

Matt Gaetz dropped a long-form post on X laying the blame squarely on Interim Speaker McHenry for not having the House vote over the weekend.

Several other conservative Republicans in the House and Senate rounded on the RINOs, whoever they are:

Conradson quoted Gaetz in this last interview:

I don’t really understand why trying to move the House into a more conservative position, trying to get a more conservative House speaker would draw the ire of conservatives. Frankly, I’ve received a lot more praise from my constituents in Florida than I have criticism, but it’s not really about that. It’s about getting the house back to work.

And I’ve got to share with you some troubling news that we just learned. After having elected Jim Jordan of Ohio, the House Speaker-designate, on Friday, we took Saturday off, we’re taking today off, and I’ve just learned that Pro Tem Patrick McHenry will now ensure that we take Monday off, and we don’t vote.

I am here in Washington. We are meeting with our colleagues. My colleague, Cory Mills, came back from Israel, where he was engaging in harrowing rescues, to be here to elect Jim Jordan for Speaker. But what the swamp is trying to do, they’re trying to delay a vote for Jim Jordan because they know he is not beholden to the lobbyists and special interests here.

So I’m in this interview with you to turn up the heat on Patrick McHenry and any Republican who would try to delay a floor vote on Jim Jordan. If they don’t want to vote for him, Let them do it in public. I’m tired of these closed-door private struggle sessions that House Republicans have been having. Instead, we need to move to the vote and let the chips fall where they may. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in interview with newsmax