House Freedom Caucus founder Rep. Jim Jordan's decision to run for speaker may not be about winning, but about whether he and fellow House conservatives can block other hopefuls from winning. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images Jordan fires warning shot at McCarthy The hard-liner almost certainly can’t win the speakership — but he might be able to extract concessions for conservatives, or himself.

Conservative firebrand Rep. Jim Jordan’s step toward a long-shot bid for House speaker Friday was most notable for the stern warning it delivered to the top contender for the post, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy: You don't have the votes yet.

The House Freedom Caucus founder and his allies know he’s unlikely to ever garner the 218 votes needed to win the gavel. But Jordan’s declaration is likely less about winning than leverage.


The Ohio Republican could easily rally several dozen conservatives to support him, blocking any other candidate — including McCarthy — from becoming speaker. Jordan could then use their votes to extract concessions from whoever is seeking the position, in this case, likely McCarthy.

A campaign for speaker, in other words, could make Jordan a kingmaker even if he fails.

“They’re putting a marker down and saying, ‘You have to deal with me,’” said one Republican lawmaker who asked not to be named.

It is unclear what the Freedom Caucus — the group that forced out ex-Speaker John Boehner and has long tormented leadership — wants from McCarthy. The group has complained in the past about not receiving chairmanships or plum committee assignments.

Jordan is next in line to chair the House Oversight Committee. Leadership has skipped over him in previous years, but Jordan could angle for the position now.

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But Jordan and conservatives might have their sights set higher than a chairmanship, according to one conservative source close with Jordan. The person suggested it could be an effort to get him into leadership, even as majority leader. Some conservatives have also discussed creating a new leadership position filled by a member from the far right, creating more of a coalition government that would give the group more influence over the conference’s decision-making process.

Either way, Jordan presents a problem for McCarthy. He’s a darling of conservatives around the country and would almost certainly win endorsements from conservative media leaders like Sean Hannity, whom Trump watches frequently.

Beyond that, the former wrestling champion is one of the most vocal proponents of Trump’s agenda. For the next six months, Republicans will be watching him and McCarthy — as well as a third possible Ryan successor, Steve Scalise (R-La.) — and asking: Who is the best salesman for the Trump agenda?

“We haven’t got the border security wall done. We haven’t done welfare reform. We need to make the tax cuts permanent. We still need to deal with Obamacare,” Jordan said in a Friday interview, a jab at the inability of current leadership to deliver on those GOP campaign promises. “Those are the things we got to focus on.”

The situation is déjà vu for McCarthy. When he sought the speakership in 2015, the Freedom Caucus withheld its support and tried to extract concessions to empower the group. But McCarthy, who’s long butted heads with Jordan, refused their offer, ultimately withdrawing his bid for speaker when he couldn’t win their votes. That paved the way for Ryan, who endorsed McCarthy to succeed him in an interview airing Sunday on “Meet the Press.“

This time around, McCarthy has been trying to woo the group by embracing more conservative positions. He’s backing a plan to cut billions of dollars from a recent spending package as well as calls for a special counsel to investigate Hillary Clinton, an idea leadership scoffed at until recently.

But in light of Jordan’s interest, first reported by The Washington Post, it’s unclear whether McCarthy’s courtship is working.

“Look, there is no speaker race; Paul Ryan’s the speaker. If and when there is, I have been encouraged by colleagues to consider that, so I’m open to that,” Jordan said.

Jordan was the first chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, which has perfected the strategy of rallying conservatives to hold back their votes until they secure concessions from leadership. That created a constant headache for Boehner and, more recently, Ryan — and animosity among other Republicans.

Indeed, most House Republicans dislike Jordan, viewing him as the ringleader of Freedom Caucus efforts to thwart a number of more moderate GOP policy victories that conservatives saw as too accommodating.

That’s why multiple House Republicans chuckled when asked about the prospect of a “Speaker Jordan,” as they walked into a Friday vote. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) laughed and said “I’m not a Freedom Caucus guy.” Others just rolled their eyes.

“I appreciate the principle of conservative leadership that he has demonstrated, but at times some of the tactics have rubbed some of the members in a concerning way, and that would be difficult to overcome,” said Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.).

Jordan has previously weighed a bid for speaker as a means to an end. As POLITICO reported in 2016, conservatives were considering trying to push Ryan out of the job because he criticized Trump as the GOP nominee.

Jordan knew he couldn’t win back then, conservative sources told POLITICO. But he also knew he could likely grab enough votes to keep Ryan from reelection to the speakership and make him step aside. In the end, Trump threw Ryan a lifeline, embracing him to lead the conference despite their differences, and Jordan backed down.

Freedom Caucus members were coy early Friday about Jordan’s intentions this time around. Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) said the debate over the next speaker should be “a discussion about policy” rather than about a specific person.

“Some of us are going to say, ‘Jim, you’ve still got to put it on paper and deliver it just like everyone else does,’” Schweikert said of Jordan’s policy vision.

To others, it's crucial for someone who embraces the group’s positions to be on the ballot.

“Not everybody up here is committed to keep their promise to constituents, so it’s only natural that we would want to find a leader that will help us keep our promises,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). “So naturally, we’re going to talk about somebody in our group.”

But could a member of the divisive group actually win a speakership fight?

“Anything is possible, and it’s amazing what you can do if you’re committed enough,” Gohmert said. “You can even bring down a solidified speaker.”



CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct Jordan's home state, following an editing error.