Former President Donald Trump’s endorsement didn’t pave the way to the speakership for Rep. Jim Jordan, whose bid ran into bitter Republican infighting, unrelated past grievances and complaints over strong-arm tactics.
As much as Trump remains the de facto leader of the Republican Party when it comes to the race for the White House, the former president’s endorsement of the Ohio Republican turned out to be largely inconsequential, lawmakers said.
“On the net, it didn’t hurt any more than it helped. And it didn’t help any more than it hurt,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a fiscal conservative who has endorsed a Trump opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in the 2024 presidential primary.
