Some Republicans Threatening To Not Show For Next Speaker Vote And Allow Hakeem Jeffries To Win

Sometime next week, it’s expected that Republicans will call a vote to determine the next speaker of the House, but their leading candidate, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) appears less certain to get the 217 votes needed to win the post, which has led to both concern and shock among the GOP, according to Politico.

It also leaves Jordan with a dilemma: Should he attempt to paint himself as a “team player” or “revert back to the tough tactics he built his reputation on?”

One thing is clear: He has work to do. While Jordan won the GOP nomination for speaker yesterday, the vote was far from the display of unity that he and his allies had predicted. An eye-popping 81 Republicans rejected Jordan in favor of a low-key backbencher, Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who decided to run just hours before the vote.

Then again, it may not matter whether Jordan comes off as nice guy or hard-ass because some members of the caucus are suggesting they may conveniently be in dispose when the balloting takes place.

Olivia Beavers of Politico posted this on Twitter:

“What happens when Jordan forces us to the floor to try to pressure us and all of a sudden we don’t show up and Hakeem Jeffries is speaker cause he wanted to be a bully ?” one upset House Republican just texted me.

It would only take five Republicans to be elsewhere when the vote is held for Jeffries to win. And there are likely more than that inside the GOP who despise Jordan enough that they’d be eager to see him humiliated.

Next week on Capitol Hill promises to be interesting.