©  AP

DONALD TRUMP’S endorsement of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to be the next Speaker underscores the former president’s continued efforts to wield influence over congressional Republicans as he seeks a White House return.

Trump threw his support behind Jordan early Friday morning, choosing to back a staunch ally and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee who is helping lead the GOP impeachment effort against President Biden.

The former president released a lengthy statement on social media touting Jordan’s prior college wrestling career and lauding him as “a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, D.C.”

Jordan is facing off against Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) for a chance to succeed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was ousted this week.

Members are already lining up behind either Scalise (McCarthy’s longtime top deputy) or Jordan (a conservative firebrand and Freedom Caucus founder). Another member, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), who chairs the Republican Study Committee, has floated a bid but has not officially entered the race. Republicans will gather early next week for a “candidate forum.”

Flashback (to the not-so-distant past): Trump urged Republicans to back McCarthy in January.

• That didn’t stop a group of Republicans, including Trump supporters, from nominating alternatives — including Trump himself — in the 15-round election.
  
  
• One of the first McCarthy alternatives nominated was Jordan, who himself urged his colleagues to back McCarthy.
  
  
• Five of the eight Republicans who joined Democrats to oust McCarthy this week cast Speaker votes for Jordan in January (Reps. Andy Biggs, Eli Crane, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good and Matt Rosendale). 

More coverage:

McCarthy ousted as Speaker: What comes next?

Televised Fox News Speaker forum called off after candidates pull out

McCarthy says he plans to run for reelection in 2024 following ouster as Speaker

Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.

• The Iowa Democratic Party‘s mail-in caucus will end on Super Tuesday (March 5, 2024), meaning Iowa won’t be the first state to hold a Democratic presidential nominating contest. The change is meant to comply with the Democratic National Committee‘s new primary calendar.
  
  

• The Labor Department‘s surprisingly strong September jobs report “may be good news for Americans wary of a recession,” while “it poses a new challenge for the Federal Reserve as it plots the next steps in its battle against inflation,” The Hill’s Sylvan Lane reports.
  
  

• Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is slated to headline a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event later this month. Kennedy is expected to change his affiliation to independent next week.

©  AP/Seth Wenig

An appeals court halted a New York judge’s ruling that stripped former President Trump of some of his business licenses, while the court declined Trump’s motion to pause the civil fraud trial pending an appeal.

Other case news: Several news organizations are asking the judge overseeing the election interference case in D.C. to allow cameras in the federal courtroom.

A YouGov poll conducted the day after the House stripped Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) of the Speakership found mixed feelings among U.S. adults—especially Republicans.

Among GOP respondents, 44 percent said they approved of McCarthy’s ouster, while fully a third — 34 percent — disapproved of his removal and another 21 percent were unsure.

Overall, 46 percent of respondents strongly or somewhat approved of McCarthy’s removal, while 28 percent strongly or somewhat disapproved and 27 percent said they were not sure.

Keep in mind: House Republicans voted 210-8 to keep McCarthy as Speaker. (The total House vote was 216-210 in favor of removal, after eight Republicans joined with Democrats seeking to oust him.)

©  Madeline Monroe, The Hill / Flourish graphic

Worth noting: The YouGov poll found adults more evenly split on whether they preferred no House Speaker or a Speaker they disagree with politically.

• A plurality said they weren’t sure (38 percent).
  
  
• Roughly a third from each affiliation said they prefer a Speaker they disagree with (31-35 percent).
  
  
• Roughly a third of Democrats (34 percent) and Republicans (30 percent) said they prefer no Speaker, compared to 23 percent of independents.

A few GOP presidential candidates hoping to gain traction will be on the Sunday shows this weekend, along with Republican House members who voted to boot McCarthy as Speaker.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be on “Fox News Sunday” and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) appears on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will be on ABC’s “This Week.” 

Also on “Face the Nation” will be Rep. Nancy Mace (R-N.C.), one of eight Republicans who voted to vacate the Speakership. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who introduced the motion to vacate, will be on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

©  Valerie Morris/Associated Press/Adobe Stock

Policy surrounding electric vehicles (EVs) has been in the spotlight amid the ongoing United Auto Workers strike and the Biden administration‘s EV transition push. The Hill’s Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk dig into the gray area of what the transition to EVs means for auto workers here.

A Gallup poll found the largest gender gap among Black adults’ perceptions of police, with 67 percent of Black men and 57 percent of Black women saying local police treat people like them fairly.

UK researches found evidence that some people experience long-term symptoms from acute respiratory infections including pneumonia, influenza and the common cold.

“From one Speaker to the next: Getting the job is the easy part” — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). (Read here)

“Why Kevin McCarthy was sacked, and how the next House Speaker can avoid his fate” — Doug Branch, former senior advisor for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, deputy chief of staff to Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) and deputy staff director for the Joint Economic Committee. (Read here)

9 days until the Federal Election Commission‘s third quarter report deadline.

42 days until the next government funding deadline.

Saturday: Former President Trump speaks at two events in Iowa.

You’re all caught up! Stay with TheHill.com for the latest and recommend this newsletter to others: TheHill.com/Evening. See you next week!