Who is Jim Jordan? Trump endorses Ohio Rep. for US House Speaker

Former US President Donald Trump has extended his support to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan for the position of House Speaker after Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a historic rebellion by far-right Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz.

In a Friday morning post on Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, he declared his “complete and total endorsement” for Jim. Showering praises, the ex-president said that the Congressman “has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington,” adding, “he will be a GREAT speaker of the house.”

Jim Jordan, 59, is a US Representative for Ohio’s 4th congressional district and chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee. He was elected to Congress in 2006 and as a member of the Republican Party, Jim has been a vocal Trump supporter for a long time. During Trump’s presidency, he staged a sit-in to prevent his impeachment and even discredited investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Trump’s endorsement for Ohio Rep. came just hours after Rep. Troy E. Nehls wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Just had a great conversation with President Trump about the Speaker’s race. He is endorsing Jim Jordan, and I believe Congress should listen to the leader of our party. I fully support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House.”

Jim became the first person to disclose his plans to run for speaker when he said “yes” on Wednesday to reporters asking if he seeks to lead the chamber.

To become a speaker, the Ohio Rep. must have 218 votes along with support from both far-right and moderate factions of the GOP. Additionally, finding a consensus to fund the government by November is yet another challenge for him.