House Speaker Hopeful Jim Jordan Says He’ll Bring McCarthy GOP Ousters ‘Into the Fold,’ Reveals Plans for Motion to Vacate Rule

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, says he believes he's "best equipped" to unite his conference after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., led seven other defectors in joining with House Democrats to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as House speaker.

"We got to bring them into the fold," Jordan, who has announced he's running to be the next Speaker, told Fox & Friends on Thursday about the eight Republicans who pushed McCarthy out.

It's a strikingly different tone than others in the conference since the McCarthy vote, some of whom have called for Gaetz and the others to be kicked out of the conference altogether.

Jordan was pressed about the wide number of issues he'd need to address as Speaker, including calls to change a rule that allows one member to bring forth a motion to vacate. This made the removal of McCarthy, sparked by a motion to vacate by Gaetz, amid spending spending fights much easier.

House GOP lawmakers who spoke to The Messenger this week were split on whether to reform the rule.

Rep. David Joyce, R-Fla., has meanwhile said he will refuse to support a speaker unless they commit to reforming the rule, something McCarthy agreed to when he was forced to run multiple times for the speakership in the first place.

Jordan would not commit to changing the rule, but said he would if that's what his conference wanted.

"That's the only way it gets done if that's what the conference wants," he said.

Fox & Friends co-anchor Brian Kilmeade returned to the question later and said he was shocked Jordan would not commit to a reform, telling him it's "impossible" to keep more than 200 people happy.

"It is what it is ... we have to figure that out," Jordan said.

The lawmaker said he would not seek Democratic support in such an effort so reform would need to be supported across his divided party.

Jordan argued he was best to unite the moderates in his party, as well as those more on the fringes. He said he'd prioritize border security as speaker and demand more transparency about Ukraine aid spending.

Jordan was also pressed on multiple members of his own conference calling for Donald Trump to be House speaker (something the president himself referenced on Truth Social) despite a conference rule disqualifying anyone facing felony charges that carry a sentence

Jordan praised Trump as the "best president, certainly in my lifetime."

"I want him to be president. I think that's what he wants too," he said.

Trump addressed the calls to be House speaker on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, he did not dismiss the idea, but said he is focused on his 2024 campaign.