Republican Representative Don Bacon from Nebraska made a strong statement on CNN’s “The Lead” regarding the ongoing Speaker of the House race involving Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan. Bacon expressed his opinion that Jordan does not have a viable path to obtaining the necessary 217 votes to secure the Speaker position. He urged Jordan to withdraw his candidacy and spoke about the importance of the eight House members who disrupted Kevin McCarthy’s bid for the Speaker position learning from their experience.
During the interview, CNN anchor Jake Tapper brought up the issue of Jordan’s decreasing support and asked Bacon if he believes Jordan will continue to decline in popularity or if he has any chance of reaching the necessary 217 votes. Bacon responded by stating his belief that Jordan is unlikely to gain the necessary support and should withdraw from the race, predicting that he will lose more votes in the future.
Bacon then detailed two main concerns that led him to oppose Jordan’s candidacy. He mentioned a group that had worked with Jordan for ten years, stating that they had experienced chaos as a result of Jordan’s actions. Bacon also expressed frustration with Jordan and his supporters over their refusal to vote for Steve Scalise as Speaker, specifically pointing out an incident where five of Jordan’s allies stated they would never vote for Scalise. Bacon believed Jordan’s silence during this incident made him somewhat complicit in the divisive behavior.
When asked about external pressures on the Speaker’s race, including support from Fox News commentators and former President Donald Trump, Bacon made it clear that he would not be swayed by public pressure. He highlighted the fact that Jordan’s supporters had previously dethroned Kevin McCarthy as Speaker with only eight people, despite the broader will of the majority of House Republicans. Bacon also mentioned that this faction within the GOP had pledged their support exclusively to Jordan when the majority of House Republicans had voted for Steve Scalise.
In response to Bacon’s stance against Jordan, a peaceful assembly is scheduled to take place outside Congressman Bacon’s Omaha office. The organizers, called the “Coalition,” aims to encourage Bacon to vote for Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House and rally support from constituents in Nebraska’s Second District.
Bacon’s opinion adds to the ongoing discourse surrounding the Speaker of the House race and presents a different perspective within the Republican Party. The outcome of this race will have significant implications for the future direction of the GOP and its leadership. It remains to be seen how Jordan and his supporters will respond to Bacon’s remarks and whether they will impact the outcome of the race.
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