In an interview with Chris Hayes on MSNBC, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) accused Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) of consistently returning to a push for “authoritarianism.” Jordan is one of the leading contenders to be the next Speaker of the House after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was recently booted. The politically well-known Ohioan has received support from former President Donald Trump as the candidates square off.
“He’s got a tragic flaw, which is that because of his natural authoritarianism, he loves to cover up and apologize for men in power who abuse their power to vicious ends,” Raskin said, discussing Jordan. “And he did that with the sexual abuser on the wrestling team back in Ohio, and of course, he has devoted his career recently to covering up all of the Constitutional crimes and offenses and outrages committed by Donald Trump.” Raskin also described Jordan’s priorities in actual policy as centered on so-called “culture war” issues, meaning high-profile cultural flashpoints the GOP tries to politically commodify.
Jordan currently leads the House Judiciary Committee, and in this Congress so far, he’s expended a lot of energy helping push GOP conspiracy theories about the supposed weaponization of the justice system, as they call it. Jordan has pressured multiple Trump-targeting prosecutors for information from their investigations drawing in the former president, though those efforts haven’t actually resulted in much beyond headlines, meaning the criminal cases have continued, with it unclear that House Republicans have even gotten much actual insider information.
A former prosecutorial team member in New York City invoked his rights against self-incrimination under questioning, while Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis lambasted the notion that Jordan had the appropriate standing to make his demands. Willis, at the time, also spoke more generally on the dispute, ripping any idea that Trump should be provided what’s essentially especially positive treatment because of his political status (as a candidate for office/ex-president).
Rep. Jamie Raskin on Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House: “He’s got a tragic flaw. Which is, that because of his natural flair for authoritarianism, he loves to cover up and apologize for men in power who abuse their power to vicious ends.” pic.twitter.com/NXd7AH6DDH
— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) October 7, 2023
