In the fight to be the next speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan (R.-Ohio) faces facing Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R.-La.), who has been a part of the House Republican leadership since 2014, when he replaced Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R.-Calif.) as majority whip after McCarthy became majority leader.

This shuffle came about after Jordan, along with Rep. Mark Meadows (R.-N.C.), forced Speaker John Boehner (R.-Ohio) to resign, by filing a vacate the chair motion on the last day before the August 2014 recess. 

Boehner did resign right away, and it did not seem like Jordan and Meadows would succeed until House Republicans came back to Washington--having heard in their districts a growing frustration with the speaker. 

In a fateful meeting, Jordan, Meadows and Boehner agreed to let Boehner, a Catholic, hang on to his speakership until after the visit of Pope Francis to Washington. Boehner resigned the next day.

Interestingly, Boehner had engineered Jordan’s departure as the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, then a conservative bloc inside the House Republican Conference, in 2013.

Boehner did it by encouraging moderate House Republican freshmen to join the RSC by exploiting the rule that allows new members to join without a review of their voting record. Boehner told the freshmen that joining the RSC, founded in 1973 by Paul Weyrich, would protect them from primary challenges from the right.

Jordan became the RSC chairman after the Tea Party wave in 2010, and throughout the 2011-2013 congressional session, Jordan used the RSC to make trouble for Boehner's program of working with President Barack Obama. 

In the next congressional session, 2013-2015, Boehner had enough and he lobbied the moderates inside the RSC to force Jordan out--and Jordan was replaced by Boehner’s pick: Scalise. 

In the 2015-2017 session, Jordan and Meadows founded the House Freedom Caucus.

Trump endorses Jordan for speaker

President Donald J. Trump endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan (R.-Ohio) for Speaker of the House today in a Truth Social post—less than a day after the president offered himself as a candidate as the constitutional leader of the House of Representatives.

“Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, D.C., representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District. Respected by all, he is now Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee,” said the president.

“As President, I had the honor of presenting Jim with our Country’s highest civilian award, The Presidential Medal of Freedom,” he said. 

Trump's endorsement was expected, as my RedState colleague Bob Hoge reported Thursday that Rep. Troy Nehls (R.-Texas) has the inside word it was coming. 

Nehls was one of the leaders of the Trump for Speaker movement.

Trump has always been a sports fan, as the owner of the USFL’s New Jersey Generals, where he signed Hershel Walker, as the promoter of boxing matches, so it should come as no surprise that he would back Jordan. 

So much is learned from sports, and Jim was a master! While attending Graham High School, he won State Championships all four years, a rarity, and compiled an amazing 156-1 record. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jim became a two-time NCAA Division l Wrestling Champion. He won his 1985-86 NCAA Championship Matches in his weight class.

The president also touted his other achievements:

Jim has a masters degree in Education from Ohio State University & a Law Degree from Capital University. He is STRONG on Crime, Borders, our Military/Vets, & 2nd Amendment. Jim, his wife, Polly, & family are outstanding - He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!

Thursday morning, before Trump endorsed him, Jordan was asked on “Fox & Friends” if he would support Trump as speaker, and the congressman said he was happy with Trump returning to the White House:

I think President Trump wants to be president of the United States. That's what I want. I think he's the best president we've had, certainly in my lifetime, did more what he said he would do than any president I can remember. I want him to be president of the United States. I think that's what he wants to do, and I think that's what's going to happen because the country is so fed up with the policies of Joe Biden. I think President Trump is going to be our nominee. He's winning by, I don't know, 40, 50 points, and I think he's going to be our next president. He's beating Joe Biden, and I think even an ABC poll, like a week ago, by 10 11 points, so the country knows his policies worked. I think he wants to be president. I want him to be president.

Jordan challenged McCarthy for minority leader after the 2018 midterms when House Republicans lost control of the lower chamber. Despite that race, McCarthy came to rely on Jordan and made him the senior Republican on the House Judiciary, leapfrogging other more senior Republicans. During Trump's first impeachment, which House Democrats managed out of the Intelligence Committee, McCarthy put Jordan on the committee to lead the president’s defense.

During the 15 rounds it took House Republicans to elect McCarthy speaker in January, Jordan never wavered in his support of the Californian—despite receiving votes himself for speaker, including one round where he garnered 20 votes. 

Then, Tuesday, when the House debated the motion to vacate the chair—the motion that ended McCarthy’s speakership, Jordan was one of the last speakers to rise in advocacy for McCarthy—which speaks to his prestige in the chamber, since the last slots in House debate are reserved for the most persuasive and respected members.

Jordan: I can bring GOP House rebels back onsides

Speaking to the “Fox & Friends” hosts from the rotunda in the Cannon House Office Building, the Ohio congressman—not wearing a jacket, as is his custom—made a forceful case that his credibility with the GOP congressmen voting to oust McCarthy—roughly the same individuals who forced the 15 rounds in January—were his people, and he could bring them back into the fold.

“Somebody has to bring our team together. If we don't come together, we're not going to get done what the American people know needs to be done,” he said. “I'm equipped to do it.”

Jordan said he is ready to take the message of unity to the House Republican Conference and the country.

“I'm equipped to go take the message to the American people about why what we're doing is so darn important,” he said. 

“I hope my colleagues will support me, and that's what I'm asking and talking to 'em with all day long, so much so, I'm already starting to lose my voice.”