Jeffries blasts Jim Jordan as ‘clear and present danger’ ahead of third vote

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) blasted Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as a “clear and present danger” before Jordan’s third attempt to gain the Speakership on Friday.

“Jim Jordan is a clear and present danger to our democracy,” Jeffries told reporters in the Capitol. “He wants to end Social Security as we know it, he wants to end Medicare as we know it, doesn’t believe that President Biden was elected in 2020. That’s disrespectful to the American people.”

“Jim Jordan wants to impose a nationwide abortion ban, and he is the poster child for MAGA extremism,” Jeffries continued. “We are saying to our traditional Republican colleagues, good men and women on the other side of the aisle: End the attachment to the extremist Jim Jordan and join with Democrats in finding a bipartisan path forward.”

The House has been without a Speaker since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted in a vote more than two weeks ago.

Jordan, the conservative chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, became the Speaker-designate for the GOP after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) initially won a closed-door Republican vote but then dropped out of the race when Jordan supporters refused to back him.

Jordan has twice gone to the floor, and twice failed to win the 217 votes from his party that would make him Speaker.

Democrats are particularly opposed to Jordan, who has been a top ally of former President Trump and who downplayed the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. They have repeatedly criticized him for denying the results of the 2020 presidential election. Jordan has also been a key figure in the House GOP’s impeachment drive against President Biden.

Jordan held a press conference Friday where he gave no indication he’s ready to bow to those Republicans saying he should get out of the race.

“Our plan this weekend is to get a Speaker elected to the House of Representatives as soon as possible so we can help the American people,” Jordan said when asked what his plan is for the weekend.

Democrats are seeking to tie Republicans in swing districts who vote for Jordan to the controversial lawmaker, hoping it will help them win back the House majority next fall.