THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?
SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do)
- Mike Johnson will not seek to lead House Republicans after their devastating election losses.
- Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise have both launched bids for minority leader.
- The winner inherits a battered GOP minority facing Democratic investigations of Trump.
LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time)
Republicans haven’t even finished counting the political casualties from Tuesday night’s election disaster, and the battle over who gets to lead what’s left of their House majority is already underway.
And it’s shaping up to be a heavyweight Republican showdown.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is running to become the next House minority leader, setting up a contest with current Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson is stepping aside from the leadership race.
According to Fox News, Johnson told his staff Wednesday morning that he would not seek the top Republican position after Democrats captured the House in a sweeping midterm victory.
And Jordan wasted little time.
The Ohio Republican began calling colleagues Tuesday night as the scale of the Republican defeat became clear. He is now making his case to lead a party that is about to lose control of House committees, investigations and the legislative agenda.
Scalise, however, isn’t surrendering the job without a fight.
The Louisiana Republican has also begun informing colleagues that he intends to seek the position. His supporters are emphasizing his experience, fundraising ability and relationships across the Republican conference.
One House Republican, apparently unimpressed with the current leadership lineup, told Fox News that the entire team should make way for new faces.
“They should all step aside and let new people run.”
Ouch.
But considering what happened Tuesday night, that sentiment isn’t particularly surprising.
The Republican Party didn’t simply lose a few competitive congressional districts. Democrats captured seats across the political map, including places where Republicans believed their candidates were relatively secure.
Even National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, whose job was helping Republicans maintain their majority, lost his own seat.
When the man running your House election operation can’t survive Election Night, you know the party has some serious questions to answer.
And here’s the problem facing whoever wins this leadership fight.
The next Republican leader won’t be holding the speaker’s gavel.
He won’t control which bills reach the House floor. He won’t decide which investigations congressional committees pursue.
Democrats will have those powers.
The Republican leader’s principal responsibilities will include keeping the party together, challenging Democratic legislation, responding to investigations of President Trump and preparing for the 2028 elections.
And investigations are coming.
Democrats have already signaled their intention to examine Trump’s business interests, members of his family, administration officials and federal agencies.
Some have also raised the possibility of impeachment proceedings against Cabinet members.
Jordan has considerable experience fighting those battles.
As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, he has spent years confronting Democrats over investigations, government accountability and disputes involving the Justice Department.
He also has a loyal following among conservatives and Trump’s supporters.
But there is a complication.
Jordan tried to become speaker in 2023 and failed after moderate Republicans refused to support him.
This time, the mathematics are different.
A speaker must win a majority of the full House. A minority leader needs only a majority of Republican members.
And following Tuesday’s losses, the remaining Republican conference may look considerably different from the one that rejected Jordan three years ago.
Several moderates who opposed his earlier leadership ambitions have now lost their seats.
Scalise, meanwhile, offers years of experience inside the Republican leadership structure and strong relationships with lawmakers who may be reluctant to embrace another internal upheaval.
But there’s a larger question here.
Is the Republican Party about to spend the days following one of its most painful defeats arguing over which familiar Washington figure gets the next leadership title?
Or will the contest produce a serious discussion about why the party lost?
Those aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Republicans have some painful explaining to do about the economy, voter dissatisfaction, candidate quality and the issues that drove people away from the party.
Changing the name on the leadership office doesn’t answer those questions.
And for conservatives still reeling from Tuesday’s results, watching another Republican family fight may be the last thing they want.
Still, the stakes are enormous.
The next House Republican leader will become one of the most visible voices opposing a Democratic Congress during Trump’s final two years in office.
He will also have a major role in determining how Republicans approach their next opportunity to regain power.
Jordan wants that job.
So does Scalise.
Johnson has decided not to fight for it.
And the party that went into Election Day expecting to remain in control of the House is now fighting over who gets to lead the minority.
If that doesn’t sum up how dramatically things changed in 24 hours, nothing will.
DBS WIRE SOURCES (I have all day)
- Fox News — Jim Jordan throws hat in ring for House minority leader after blue wave
- Fox News — Steve Scalise launches bid for top House Republican leadership job
- Fox News — Mike Johnson will not seek to lead House GOP after historic midterm losses
- Axios — House Republicans turn on one another after brutal midterm defeat
- Axios — Mike Johnson bows out of GOP leadership after crushing House defeat
