Trump ally Jim Jordan elected House Republican floor leader, led 'Coupang report'

Rep. Jim Jordan, a hardline ally of President Donald Trump, has been chosen to lead House Republicans after the party suffered a crushing defeat in the midterm elections. Jordan's election as floor leader — a loyalist who stood at the forefront of defending Trump against impeachment during the first administration — is widely seen as the Republican Party firing back against the Democratic Party's promised offensive with an aggressively combative leadership choice, even as Democrats now control both chambers of Congress.

House Republicans held a closed-door meeting Tuesday (local time) and elected Jordan as the party's floor leader for next year by a vote of 106 to 73, also choosing Rep. Tom Emmer as majority whip, the second-ranking position.

Incumbent floor leader Steve Scalise, who ran against Jordan, was defeated. Jordan, widely regarded as the most combative member of the Republican caucus, ousted Scalise, a pragmatist who had served in Republican leadership since 2014.

The vote reflected a judgment within the party that Jordan's aggressive posture would better protect Republicans against the Democratic Party, which has pledged sweeping probes into Trump, his family and administration officials, riding the momentum of its midterm landslide.

Scalise's defeat also reflected sentiment within the party that the current Republican leadership could not escape responsibility for the midterm debacle.

Jordan has long positioned himself as Trump's chief enforcer among close allies. He built his profile by leading the charge against Democratic impeachment efforts during the first administration.

Trump awarded Jordan the Medal of Freedom shortly before leaving office in early 2021. The Medal of Freedom is the highest honor a president can bestow on a civilian.

Jordan cemented his status as a core Trump ally by actively backing Trump's claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and by leading the House Freedom Caucus, the hardline conservative bloc within the Republican Party.

A former collegiate wrestler, Jordan has long been a thorn in the side of not only Democrats but also the Republican establishment. Former House Speaker John Boehner, who resigned under pressure from Jordan and other hardliners, once called Jordan a "legislative terrorist."

Jordan's election as floor leader raises the prospect of an intensely polarized Congress next year. He is expected to focus on defending Trump regardless of the public sentiment reflected in the midterm results, and to devote his energy to rebuilding the MAGA (Make America Great Again) base, which faces erosion in the wake of the election.

Some within the Republican Party have expressed concern that Jordan's election could alienate moderate voters who have turned away from Trump. The argument is that the party needs to adjust its direction to win over swing-state voters ahead of the 2028 presidential election — and that choosing Jordan moves it in the opposite direction.

CNN said Republicans had chosen one of the most aggressive and combative figures in their ranks as the face of the party, calling it "a clear signal that Republicans are preparing for battle, not compromise, with Democrats next year."

Jordan's election draws particular attention because, as chair of the House Judiciary Committee, he spearheaded what has been called the "Coupang Inc report." The report, led by Republican members of the Judiciary Committee, incorporated Coupang Inc's one-sided claims in detail and has been used by some Republicans to argue that the South Korean government discriminates against American companies.

It remains to be seen whether Jordan's new role as floor leader will lend further weight to such claims. Trump has repeatedly signaled that he has no intention of revising his foreign policy stance despite the midterm losses.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Thune was re-elected as Senate Republican floor leader. No colleague mounted a challenge, but there were voices calling for a delay in the leadership vote, along with pushback questioning whether the existing leadership should remain in place after such a devastating electoral defeat.

Sen. Josh Hawley publicly criticized the outcome, saying, "If you don't think we need to change course after losing at least seven Senate seats, what planet are you living on?"

Thune, a figure of the traditional Republican mainstream, has maintained a tense relationship with Trump. In particular, Thune and other Senate Republican leaders repeatedly rebuffed Trump's calls to eliminate the filibuster — the procedural tool that allows extended debate to delay or block legislation — defending it as a symbol of bipartisan governance.