During a discussion this week on the MSNBC program “Morning Joe,” Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), harshly criticized recent moves by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
In this Congress, Jordan leads the House Judiciary Committee. He recently sent a letter demanding an array of materials from Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is responsible for the most recent criminal case against former President Donald Trump, which accuses him of involvement in a conspiracy to target the state’s election results from 2020. Portions of that alleged criminal conspiracy range from Trump’s direct pressure for action on state officials in Georgia to the state’s iteration of the efforts to assemble sham electors for Trump despite state-level Biden victories.
Jordan is seeking from Willis materials including potential communications between her team and various individuals in the federal government related to the local investigation into the 19 people in total who Willis charged. This request presupposes that there’s something such potentially in existence, giving Republicans a platform to further their baseless idea of some kind of political string-pulling behind the criminal charges Trump has faced.
“When it comes to the politics of drama, and the politics of reality TV, that’s the space that a Jim Jordan is good in,” Steele remarked. “Tell me one serious hearing this man has held since he’s been chair or ranking member.”
“This is not serious,” Steele added. “This is obstruction. He knows he has no interest in this case. It doesn’t involve his committee. There is no oversight here. Show me in the rules of the House where it says that the chairman of the Judiciary Committee has a direct interest in the prosecution of a local state felony case. They don’t have it.” Steele noted that the persistent support from many Republicans for Trump exemplifies the problems with where the Republican Party is staking its rhetorical claim. Most on stage at a recent primary debate said they’d support Trump as the nominee even if he were convicted.
