- Trump has endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio to be the next Speaker of the House.
- The former president offered his backing in an early morning post on Truth Social.
Former President Donald Trump, early on Friday morning, endorsed Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio to be the next Speaker of the House, testing his ability to bring calm to Congress after a week of chaos.
"Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, DC, representing Ohio's 4th Congressional District," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth, not long after midnight on the East Coast.
Trump's endorsement will likely upend the campaign to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was unceremoniously ousted earlier this week.
Right now, the race is largely between Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
The former president's decision to offer his backing is not without risk. Eighteen House Republicans represent districts that President Joe Biden won. They will now be forced to either defy Trump's will or potentially risk being tagged as too close to a figure who remains toxic for many of their voters.
The early Friday announcement also means that Trump is almost certainly done with floating the possibility of his own speakership. Despite skepticism from across Washington, the former president continued to stoke speculation that he could seize upon the fact that the Speaker of the House does not technically have to be a member of Congress.
In his endorsement, the former president devoted significant praise to Jordan's prolific NCAA wrestling career, writing: "So much is learned from sports, and Jim was a master!"
Jordan has faced allegations that he failed to stop sexual abuse within the Ohio State wrestling program, accusations he has repeatedly denied.
In Jordan, Trump is backing a staunch conservative fighter. The Ohio Republican has been a central figure in investigations of President Biden and his son Hunter.
Before this, Jordan served on the Select Committee that investigated the 2012 attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi. Jordan has also expressed skepticism over further aid to Ukraine, a position more in line with Trump's than Scalise, who voted for $300 million in aid just last week. While McCarthy tried, ultimately unsuccessfully, to placate the far-right, Jordan has been a core right-wing figure for years.
House Republicans have set next Wednesday as the deadline to name a new speaker. They will first vote via secret ballot behind closed doors for the GOP conference nominee.
Traditionally, the party would only vote for this candidate during the public vote before the full House — that did not happen in January during a dayslong standoff. It remains to be seen if Trump's endorsement can make for a less chaotic outcome this time.
A representative for Jordan did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.